A Ghost Encounter
by silenthero27
Summary: Kenji Harima, Sarah Adiemus and Yakumo Tsukamoto were now living together in the Tsukamoto residence after Tenma's departure. All looks well and normal except there's another occupant they're not aware of. Will this entity going to be their ruin or will it pave a new road for them all?
1. Chapter 1

Yoh everyone! This will be my first full-on story about this amazing anime. The interesting part about this anime is because there are so many things left to explore and explain despite that SR is "already" finished. I'll try to take on those unresolved plot holes with this story. And trust me, this would be freaking long.

Without further ado, let's just begin...

Read. Enjoy. Review.

* * *

**A Ghost Encounter**

By silenthero

* * *

"Are you afraid of ghosts?"

"Not really."

"Then do you believe in ghosts?"

"Why should I be scared in something I don't believe in?"

The young girl bowed her head, her hair falling in front of her face and hiding her eyes. "Then nice to meet you, Kenji Harima."

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

Kenji Harima, former delinquent and number one bad boy of Yagami High. He's also engaged to a certain rich heiress and was now living with his crush's younger sister and a nun.

He wouldn't even believe it until it happened to him.

It was now a month after his first love, Tenma Tsukamoto, fled to America to pursue Karasuma Ooji, his hated rival both in love and manga. That specific moment really impacted him more than he could admit. It nearly sundered his life, dropping him to the lowest of low of his meager existence.

But then again, wasn't he the one who came up with it? Personally handing the girl he loved to a man who abandoned her? Couldn't he just wait it out, slowly let time do its cruel deed of leaving happy moments to mere memories? But no, he couldn't.

In his heart of hearts, he knew he couldn't let fate win this one. Could he live a life regretting the moment he could make her smile but hesitated because of his own selfish love? No, it wouldn't end that way. He had to make a choice: at the expense of his heart or the heart of the one who gave him a heart.

It was not that hard to answer if you don't think too much about it, as Harima has been very good in that part. He thought of it in the fly and if given another chance, he would do so again without a second thought.

Since then, his life was cast drift less, waking everyday knowing he was the chief architect of the demolition of his heart. The one inspiration that drove him to become a better person was now gone. No purpose, no regret, and no reason to live any longer.

It took two young ladies to keep him up afloat; a slap of a beating and a house to call home. If this was fate rewarding him for his sacrifice, he would laugh at the absurdity of it. Fate can be a cruel mistress but sometimes fate shows her other side.

He called it Lady Luck.

Or so he thought...

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

* * *

"It's so nice to have a man around," a blonde girl sporting a milkmaid braid hairstyle cheerily said. She was leaning her elbows on the kitchen table, her hands cupping her face.

"If that's a compliment, Sarah, then I'll take it," a man wearing a hair band said while washing the dishes. "It would also be nice if a certain nun could also help."

A red eyed girl with shoulder length hair giggled. "There aren't many dishes to wash, Harima. If you don't mind I'll wash them."

Harima looked at Yakumo and replied sternly, "That's not necessary, Imouto-san. You already did the cooking. I could do this myself."

"You see, Yakumo. He could do it by himself," Sarah cut in, mischief in her eyes. Harima turned over his shoulder and stared gravely at her. He should be more careful about his words from now on.

"Anyway, Harima," Yakumo said, calmly changing or diffusing the subject. "I know it's Saturday but Sarah and I would be gone the whole day. Is it okay if you're alone here?"

Harima looked back at her direction and replied, "Of course. I'm now beginning to get used living in a big house so leave the chores to me."

"How lovely! You could be a good housewife!" Sarah cheerily exclaimed.

"Thanks, Sarah." Harima deadpanned, still not forgetting their exchanges earlier. Yakumo smiled inwardly at the both of them. They're like brother and sister teasing each other.

With her older sister gone, Yakumo was left alone. It was her best friend Sarah who had the idea to stay with her. Since Sarah was an orphan who lived in the church, it was beneficial for the both of them. The only thing Yakumo didn't expect was her friend bringing along Harima.

There was a heated discussion after Yakumo's classmates learned Harima's sudden engagement to Eri. They were livid about the news and, although Yakumo was tight lipped about it, they decided they would help her out by any means necessary. They could not let one of their beloved classmates lose to some rich blonde. It suddenly became personal and a mission for them. Yakumo herself wasn't bothered about it but because of her classmates' insistence, she began to question the situation. Akira then told them the engagement was just on paper and the two would never really go through it. Yakumo was relieved after hearing it.

Relieved? That feeling of relief had dug through her mind. It meant that she was bothered. That she really did care. After that, she let her classmates do what they do. She just didn't expect they'll go this far that it would end up Harima staying with her.

As it turned out, Harima was kicked out by his cousin because he's now "married" and should not stay with any woman any longer. He drifted to his bride-to-be residence for lodging but Eri stolidly refused since they're not technically "married" and could never stomached Harima being in the same place as her, as much as her face betrayed what she was saying. Sarah took the chance and, along with her energetic classmate Miki, hatched a plan to let Harima stay with Yakumo. After their ordeal (and of Hanai's expense), Harima agreed and all went according to plan.

Sarah's plan was to "rehabilitate" him and, finding Yakumo would be living alone, she took the initiative to do it for her, even though Yakumo has no say in it. It was the perfect opportunity when Harima's heart was still vulnerable after such traumatic experience he went through. Yakumo even got her blessing from her older sister when she informed her of Harima's stay, even though it was Tenma who threw Harima out when he stayed the first time. Her sister said happily that both of them were now living with the man they love and then she stamped her approval; despite Yakumo again has no say in it.

It seems the whole world was conspiring in her love life, one way or another.

Despite the drastic changes, Yakumo had gotten comfortable living with them in the two weeks they'd stayed so far. To be honest, she found living with the two of them far less tedious than with her sister. It was always such maintenance to take care of Tenma now that she thought about it.

Bidding goodbye to her two housemates, Yakumo grabbed her bag of "costumes" and left to the cafe she was working at. Sarah shortly followed, remarking she should come early to the chinese restaurant to make up for her late attendance last week. After finishing the dishes, Harima was left alone in such a big house.

In the last two weeks he'd stayed, this was the first time he'll be left alone. School aside, he was with Yakumo or Sarah or both in the house. They talked about their day, watched TV or simply dozed off while he drew his manga. Yakumo would also help but only when he really needed her. He was in too much debt to ask her for it. Also, there's Eri and her activities.

Harima had wished that the blonde has the decency to notify him first before barging in to the house and then dragging him away to a rich man's errand he knew nothing about. Her arrival could be at any given moment, from him doing his manga to him being asleep. This made him spend more time with her company than in the house. Despite of that, he would never understand rich people no matter how much time he spends with them.

With a house bigger than a normal Japanese house, Harima began to think of his plan of action. Yakumo left him a note of chores to do around the house but she didn't left him a time table. Even so, Harima was accustomed to clean. He was the "cleaning lady", as his cousin puts it, when he was staying in her apartment.

Ms. Itoko had taught him (more accurately, threatened him at gunpoint) that by being the one who was staying in another person's place he should have the courtesy and initiative to be helpful around. Although Yakumo's hospitality was a far cry from Ms. Itoko's spartan treatment, Harima was already in debt in how Yakumo had helped him multiple times in his manga. Yakumo would still do chores around the house so he would do it first before she even had a chance. She, of course, would politely thank him and that alone was enough for him to know he was paying his debt, little by little.

Still, an apartment was totally different compared to a full-fledged house. This would be tricky. He took the note clinging to the refrigerator and began to read it.

1\. Take out laundry to dry. _I should start with this one while still early._

2\. Sweep the floor. _Not that of a priority but still._

3\. Feed Iori. _I should add Napoleon and Shiba as well._

4\. Water the plants. _Good thing they don't have a big garden here except the ones in the front gate._

5\. Remove dust from desks and tables. _No problems here._

6\. Clean the backyard and storage room. _Hmm. Isn't that a bit vague, Yakumo?_

7\. Check supplies for the next week. _Yakumo just bought groceries the other day. Just a second check._

Harima arranged the order in his mind._This wouldn't take the whole day,_ he reminded himself. Still wearing the perky light blue apron and appearing very similar to a nanny, he went to his chores.

The laundry was no problem. It was spring. The weather was fair and clouds were sparse in the sky.

_This would have been a good day to go out to town_.

Shrugging the thought away, he prepared the food for their pets, and found it surprisingly challenging with an additional pet.

Shiba, Eri's huge sheep dog, followed him the moment he introduced himself to the big dog. This wasn't the first time they met, though. It was during when Eri slapped the hell out of him that he first saw the dog. It was still a fuzzy memory on why he didn't bothered the animal more than Eri herself. Animals were more close to him than most people after all. So when the dog followed him, he didn't mind but Eri was beyond pissed that the dog had the gall to leave a woman like her. He laughed at her and, seeing an opportunity, he made a deal with the blonde that if he take care of the big dog, she would leave him for a whole month. Eri grudgingly accepted, still not over being rejected. But if she's called to an important meeting, Harima had to accept, whether he disliked it or didn't like it.

It's been two days since Shiba has been brought to the house. Yakumo had been terrified out of her wits when she first saw the big dog but Harima assured her he's safe. Comforted by his words, she slowly accepted the dog but Harima was still concerned about Yakumo and her apparent phobia to dogs.

Iori, on the other hand, was far from a friendly cat. He apparently shared the same phobia as his master. The black cat treated the dog like some sort of a mortal enemy despite the dog's friendly nature. Napoleon was the easiest one as he would eat almost anything and be content. Harima just separated the pets a good distance away from each other and fed them. After eating their lot, the pets roamed the residence without clamor. Satisfied, Harima went to the other chores.

He dusted the furniture one by one, finding it quite relaxing. He had used a vacuum cleaner in Itoko's apartment but now prefers using a feather duster as the noise of the vacuum ruins the gentle ambiance of the house. He then swept the floor. It wasn't that hard to do and soon enough, it was already noon.

Harima went to the kitchen for lunch. Opening the refrigerator, he took one of frozen instant curry and heated it. Since he was all by himself and there were still chores piled up on his list, he opted for ready-made food. He checked the rice from breakfast earlier if it was still ok. Content it was still edible he poured the heated curry to the slightly cold rice and began his fill.

Harima grimaced. It was bland and not very appetizing. He was getting accustomed to Yakumo's dish for a while now so anything below its level was noticeable to his palette. While eating his meal, he looked up and a memory shot up through his mind.

_You're so lucky. Yakumo's cooking is the best ever!_

He saw Tenma welcoming him to eat. It felt like it happened years ago but the memory was so fresh that it looked like it was happening in real time. Back then he thought he was dreaming. Now, he was sure he's hallucinating. He slightly closed his eyes, wishing against hope it was the case again that it turned out it was true. He returned to his meager meal and ate in contemplative silence.

After resting for a bit, he checked their supplies. _Hmm. Nothing lacking. We might even live a month with this stock. Wait. Pet food is surprisingly low. Should have expected with a big dog like Shiba. Should I ask Rich Girl? No. She'll just add that to her "Harima-owe-me" list. Might as well hit the store tomorrow._

He took a piece of paper and scribbled a note in a messy handwriting, "Buy pet food for Shiba." Checking it was legible, he pinned the paper using a magnet, sticking it to the fridge.

_There. One down. Next is clean the backyard. How bad could it be?_

It almost took the whole afternoon just to clean the backyard, Harima cursing his luck along the way. Harima had witnessed the aftermath of Shiba and his activities. The dog had been very active with his claw, digging for whatever caught his fancy. Chewed twigs, scratched tree trunks and, with a big appetite, big... leftovers. Harima was appalled how the dog acted on its own. Even his motley crew of wild animals didn't behaved this way. He quickly thought of the blonde owner and her lousy treatment of the pet. The dog was apparently caged most of his life and became very excited to roam free. He just needed to train the dog.

He trained harder animals before.

After lecturing Shiba about the house rules, he started to go for the storage room. It was in the far corner of the backyard with a simple box layout. Upon opening the creaking wooden door, Harima's impression about storage rooms went up a notch in the creepy level. He finally realized why so many people were afraid of attics or any storage rooms.

The room was filled with various strange containers. Old crates with weird talismans sticking to it, suggesting it may contain or sealing something otherworldly. Jars upon jars of unknown contents were displayed in various shelves. There's a mysterious vibe in this room, Harima could feel.

He tried to open one box and found old scrolls and tomes. Looking at one, the language written in it was undecipherable, looking more like scribbles than an actual language. There were even scrolls that have weird symbols and sketches. Going to the bookshelves there were books that contained strange and bizarre pictures on how to exorcise a spirit or how to break a particular curse and other occult stuff. One thing that struck a terrifying chord in him was a wall displaying Oni masks of different types. It was so unnerving and terrifying that he was sure those demonic faces were staring at him, following him wherever he goes. That alone was enough for a lifetime of nightmares.

After cleaning the room, his adrenaline helping him along the way to quickly finish the deed, Harima swore he would never return to that godforsaken room. He might accidentally awaken a terrible evil if he stayed there too long.

_Why do the Tsukamotos have these things anyway!?_

After that adrenaline pumping activity, Harima started watering the plants. The house only has small shrubs and few trees. Still, the place looked very traditional and homey with its simplistic beauty. It was a complete change of pace from the last labor. The sun was slowly setting, bathing the backyard with a warm glow. The gentle breeze was soothing and relaxing. Sometimes if he felt like it doing, he'll splash himself in the cooling water from the hose to wake his spirits.

While watering the plants Harima noticed someone standing at the front gate. Ruled by his curiosity, he stopped what he was doing and checked the lone stranger. He walked towards his uninvited guest and saw a young girl.

The girl was wearing a white dress with red linings at the sleeve's ends and a diamond lining at the neck part. Her ebony hair was unusually long down to her waist.

_She must be 8 or 9 years old_, Harima thought.

"Good afternoon." Harima greeted the young girl. "Are you waiting for someone?"

The young girl simply stared at him, her red eyes struck familiar to Harima.

"What's your name?"

"...Just call me Yamo."

* * *

**Author's Note:** One thing, though. There would be a lot of info dump in this story to tie it up with the current lore. Just prepare for an absurd amount of flashbacks and explanation to the next chapters.

Ciao.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

* * *

"Ya'mo, huh? Now that's a cute name." Harima said, a small smile curving in his lips. "By the way, I'm Kenji Harima."

"So it's true," murmured the girl. "I can't see anything at all."

"What?"

"May I ask you a question?" The young girl asked in a hurry, ignoring Harima's bewildered expression.

Harima nodded, confused.

"Are you afraid of ghosts?"

"Uh, not really." Harima replied still confused.

"Then do you believe in ghosts?"

"Why should I be scared in something I don't believe in?" Harima answered proudly.

"I see. Then nice to meet you, Kenji Harima." The young girl then raised a hand for a handshake and Harima feebly shook hands with her. As he did so, he felt slightly cold upon contact but brushed the feeling away.

"So where do you live?" Harima asked. "I'm still relatively new here. Are you living around the neighborhood?"

"You might say that." The girl said in a monotone voice.

"Where are your parents? Aren't they worried about you?"

"I just wanted to check on something. I won't be long."

"I can walk you home if it's not that far. It's not safe for a girl your age walking alone unsupervised."

Harima put a hand in one of the pockets of his apron to get his keys but the young girl suddenly turned around and walked away.

"Wait!" Harima fumbled his keys, dropping it to the ground. He then heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Oh, Harima! Good afternoon!" Harima turned the other direction and saw Sarah walking towards him from a distance.

"Oh, hi there, Sarah," he quickly greeted her back. He whirled his head back to the other side and saw nothing. "Well, that was downright odd."

Sarah tilted her head, "What odd?"

"I'm sure someone just – well, never mind about that."

"Never mind about what?" the blonde replied, her brows furrowing.

"Just some random passersby." Harima answered vaguely to sate her curious mind. "Asked some weird questions. It's nothing."

"Ok then." Sarah said and looked at Harima with an amused smile. "By the way, you look awfully normal in that apron! You look just like a good housewife!"

"Yeah, yeah, very funny," he deadpanned. "I still have work to do. I haven't even started working on my manga yet. I wonder how Yakumo managed all this things by herself."

"She is a bit of a workaholic when it comes to household chores." Sarah then made a quirky smile. "But more importantly, won't you greet me to the house like a good gentleman?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Harima sarcastically apologized. "This way." He gestured in a mock bow, his hands pointing to the house. Sarah slightly lifted up her gaze and walked towards the house.

_She is enjoying this every second of the way._ Harima thought, eyeing her going inside the house. He then looked back on the road and whispered, "Yamo, huh."

x-x-x

Yakumo came home several minutes after Sarah arrived. She always looked very tired and weary after work so Harima volunteered to cook for the night. She, of course, politely refused but Harima was insistent. Sarah, of course, remarked the "housewife" joke again, earning dagger looks from Harima. Yakumo silently laughed at them, watching Harima getting tired of the joke all day while Sarah stayed smug and cool. That single laugh banished all her stress from work.

They aren't related by blood at all but they look like a family. Dysfunctional, yes, but a family nonetheless.

The two girls were sitting in the traditional low table, waiting for the man of the hour. The aroma coming from the kitchen was irresistible and Yakumo remembered a familiar scent. Sarah looked so excited about what kind of dish Harima will prepare, still spouting her running joke – although she was now serious and not just joking about it.

The blonde then nudged Yakumo's side and softly said, "You're quite lucky having a man like Harima."

The red eyed girl blushed, not knowing how to respond. Should she say "yes", thereby announcing to the world they're official, or "no", betraying her real feelings? Silence was always the preferred option but Sarah knew her better than anyone else. She'll accept her muted silence as a quiet affirmative or meek humility. Yakumo wished it was that way with most people.

Harima went out of the kitchen with plates in each hand. Yakumo noticed Harima was still wearing the perky apron and couldn't help but smile. Sarah's joke must have really gotten into her.

Harima served the dish in front of them. "Ok," Harima grinned. "Eat up."

After thanking Harima, Yakumo tasted the dish. Her eyes widened as realization crossed her mind.

_This was the meal Harima cooked from the last picnic trip._ Yakumo thought. It was a crab miso stew, she remembered, but this was different. It was more delicious than before. Never mind how he got the ingredients but the advice left by Ms. Osakabe was followed to the letter. This was a whole new dish compared to the one he came up with on that picnic. Harima apparently put it into heart.

Heart.

_Didn't he volunteered to cook back then was to impress my sister? So what about now? Is he starting to recover?_

Yakumo thought back on her older sister. She was now with the man she truly loves, but does that apply to her as well? Technically speaking, yes, but it could also be a "no" since she herself wasn't completely sure of it. Karasuma has been gracious, in a sense, to accept Tenma but will it be the same for Harima? Tenma was now out of the country and still Yakumo couldn't read his mind, giving her the idea he was still in love with her sister, or even be in love with someone else, someone like Eri. This really saddened and frightened her deep in her heart.

Funny. How a dish invoked so many emotions and memories.

Yakumo wanted to tear up but urged against it. It wouldn't be proper nor appropriate doing so. She opened her eyes that she involuntarily closed and saw Sarah crying, mangaal tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, it's so good!" Sarah exclaimed. Yakumo mangaally blinked a couple of times, finding her best friend being this true to herself.

Harima grinned. "Yeah? I've been perfecting it for some time now."

"So that's why it tasted so familiar," Yakumo said, joining in the conversation. "This is the crab miso stew back when we had a picnic trip."

Sarah's eyes widened and sparkled in surprise. "When did you have a picnic with Harima? Is it just the two of you?"

Yakumo bowed and blushed but Harima calmly answered for her, "No. It's after the culture festival. Akira, Eri and Mikoto were with us. Oh, yeah. Hanai and Imadori also went along."

Yakumo stared at him. That's weird. He should be shouting his heart out denying any wrong implications but he was calm. His face didn't show any signs of nervousness or panic. Instead, he looked collective and composed. Without the shades covering his eyes, he looked somber and mature. He looked... surprisingly handsome.

"Oh, I'll get my dish. I'm pretty starving too, you know." Harima stood up and went back to the kitchen.

Yakumo simply smiled at him and went back to her dish. At the side of her vision she noticed Sarah was smiling at her. The blonde was giggling and making her heartwarming smiles. Yakumo was sure Sarah would ask the inevitable question.

"So what happened there, Yakumo?" Sarah finally asked.

"We had a cook off, well, a men's cook off." Yakumo calmly explained. "Tenma forgot our lunches at home so Harima and Hanai volunteered to cook. Right before I knew it, it became a tournament. We girls along with some other guests judged the dishes. But in the end Eri's maid came along and wins the contest. I think his name is Masaru."

Sarah pouted. "Now that's not fair. Anyway, Eri's maid aside, who did you pick?"

"Pardon?"

"You know, Harima or Hanai? Who did you vote for? Who did you choose?"

Yakumo glanced sideways as if the choices were in front of her. Quite frankly, she wasn't sure herself. To her, Sarah's question was more than just who had the best dish.

She didn't have problems with Hanai's dish but Hanai represented everything Yakumo doesn't like to a boy: too overprotective, too over-eager and too infatuated to even consider him seriously. Harima's dish was also good but – But what? Harima surprisingly was the first male she had connection with other than her dad. He was protective but not assertive, naive but not insensitive, kind but not gullible, proud but not selfish. Then again, Harima only cooked because of her older sister. Harima wouldn't even go with them in the first place if Tenma wasn't there.

Sarah leaned closer to Yakumo, waking her up in her reverie. "So?"

Yakumo was in a loss of words. Her friend would not accept silence to this seemingly innocent question this time, she knew. "I think-"

"Sorry I took so long." Harima said, emerging from the kitchen and holding a big plate. "Shiba got hungry again so I had to feed him." He noticed the two girls were staring at him. "Something's wrong?" he asked

"No. Nothing." Sarah replied.

Harima sat down in front of the two girls and stared at their dishes. "You two haven't eaten the meal at all. Is something wrong with it?"

"We're just waiting for you," Sarah said, smiling. "We don't want to be rude, right, Yakumo?"

Yakumo looked at her slightly confused but gave her a small smile nonetheless. She also mentally thanked them both, for Harima coming in the right moment and for Sarah not pressing on about her question earlier.

"D'you mind if I turn on the TV?" Harima asked. "It's time for Three for the Kill."

"No problem." Yakumo answered and then glanced at Sarah. "Is it okay to you too, Sarah?" She noted her friend being a nun would be averse to violence.

"Of course. I really like old Japanese era shows with their costumes and all."

Having permission, Harima stood up and turned on the TV. Retrieving the remote, he went back to the table and changed the channel of the TV. "Good timing. It's just started." Harima said, speaking out his good fortune. Harima ate his meal and his fellow housemates shortly followed.

They ate in relative silence except for the sounds coming from the TV. Yakumo thought about her sister missing the show. She wasn't sure if "Three for the Kill" was being showed in America but she can't help herself to think for her sister. She should be recording the show if Tenma wasn't around the house.

Old habits die hard, I suppose.

After they ate supper, Harima started picking up the empty dishes to place it to the kitchen sink. Thinking Harima has done enough work, Yakumo started talking. "So, Harima? How's the manga? Do you need any help?"

Harima stopped midway and looked at her. "I haven't started anything at all." Harima sheepishly replied. "It all happened too fast and the next thing I know both of you were already here."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could have helped you with the chores at some way."

"Well then!" Sarah announced in a commanding tone, startling the two. Pointing a finger at Yakumo, she said, "Yakumo, go help Harima with his manga tonight." She then pointed a finger at Harima and said, "Harima, you go work on your manga. I'll handle the dishes!"

Harima gave her a confused look. "Woah. You're serious?"

"I'm sure I'm serious." Sarah grabbed Harima and Yakumo's shoulders and led them out of the living room. "Don't worry about it. Just leave this to me."

"Well, I suppose. You sure?"

Sarah pushed Harima towards his room. "You go now. Time is gold." Harima walked away without any reply, leaving the two girls behind.

x-x-x

Harima went to his room, still confused as to what just happened. Sarah had been so insistent all of a sudden giving him no choice but to comply. Now that he thought about it, it was kind of her for volunteering to wash the dishes.

Harima shrugged. _Well, that's another work off my shoulders_.

His room was down the hall and was the very same room he stayed the first time. The two girls have their respective rooms in the second floor and his in the first floor. He grabbed his art utensils from the desk and placed it to the low table in the middle of the room. Harima usually use a desk for work but if Yakumo was helping out then they use the low table to accommodate her.

While waiting for her, he sat down and began to think a story for his new manga.

With Tenma out of the picture he found out thinking of a story was quite a challenge. His last issue was an open ended scenario with the heroine being gone without a trace, much like Tenma's sudden departure. He was really considering ending the manga but the plot was still not building up to the climax because he didn't expected things to turn out this way. Abruptly discontinuing it like that would annoy the hell out of the editor and it would probably cost him his life. So he settled for an open ended story so he could continue it at a later time.

It was a fantasy story with him being the protagonist as Knight Hario and Tenma as Princess Ten Ten. It was loosely based on his own life, full of misadventures and epics that usually ended with the princess being taken again for another quest. It was repetitive but somehow it was continued by the publisher, with Harima adding some elements to make it more fresh and engaging. There were other stories he made but it was still with the same characters. It was with a different setting and plot but the overall essence was still the same.

He really needed a new twist in the story to spark another grand epic; just one thing that would make a good impression to his small fanbase and especially to the hulking editor. It wouldn't matter anyway if it was good for plain readers but won't be published in the first place if the editor didn't like it. He removed one major character and that was a huge decision. With that in thought, he needed to fill the void it left.

Should he add more characters? It just makes sense to add one after removing another. A timeskip would be a good alternative. It was the ultimate cop out strategy to any author who was stuck in a particular plot. You practically start anew with that choice. Or better yet, maybe he can combine those two options? It was tempting but he couldn't shrug the feeling he was stretching the story too far. Would the editor buy that?

_I badly needed help with this one._

Deep in thought, Harima opened his eyes that he unconsciously closed and saw Yakumo's ruby red eyes staring back at him. This really took him by surprise.

Shocked, Harima ungraciously stumbled backwards as he released a yelp of surprise. His vision suddenly went wild, hands randomly flailing at the air, and his back hit the floor. He heard a familiar voice call out his name.

Forcing his mind back in gear, he heaved his body upwards to return in a sitting position. The move nearly made his head spin.

"It's okay, Imouto-san. I'm fine." Harima managed to reply, his hand instinctively began rubbing the back of his neck. "That hurt."

Yakumo bowed her head and apologized. Harima held up a hand and touched her shoulder reassuringly. "No, it's okay," he said and smiled at her. "I'm just glad you're now here." He let go of her shoulder and continued, "I was just thinking of a new story. I would really like to hear your suggestions..."

x-x-x

"You go now. Time is gold." Sarah said to Harima. Yakumo was confused what her friend was doing.

When Harima walked down the hall and was out of view Sarah stared directly at her. "I'm doing this for you, Yakumo," the blonde said, wagging an index finger at her.

"Sarah, what are you doing?" Yakumo voiced out her thoughts when Sarah suddenly held both her shoulders.

"Listen to me," the blonde said in a serious tone, eyeing Yakumo. "I know in my heart you picked Harima's dish. But you changed your mind because the majority picked Eri's maid, thinking it would be obvious if you're the only one who voted for him. Am I right?"

Yakumo was stunned by her friend's intuition. She didn't even tell her who voted for Eri's maid. How Sarah knew so much of her, even things that she herself wasn't sure of? Apparently, she was underestimating the nun's intuition up to this point. It gave Yakumo another new level of respect and awe for her best friend.

Sarah turned her around and began to push her. "Now, now, just be a good girl and trust me. We don't want to let your date wait any longer, do we?"

"W-w-what?" Yakumo stuttered. Before she knew it she was in the hall, hearing Sarah's faint footsteps.

Yakumo stood for a few seconds, still trying to absorb this whole situation. _A d-date? With H-Harima?_ Yakumo waved her head quickly_. I'm just going to help him in his manga like before. It's not something to be worried about._ She then proceeded to walk towards Harima's room.

As she walked, Yakumo couldn't help but think of Harima's manga. Now it was brought out, she thought about what story Harima will come up this time_. Will he do a romantic comedy again? What sort of genre will it be this time? Now that my sister –_

Yakumo's thoughts were derailed completely, literally stopping her in her tracks. Her face mellowed as realization finally settled in.

_Oh, right. Sis is not here. Harima started to draw manga because of her._ She remembered the time when Harima and Tenma were talking to one another. Harima looked so happy and, after Tenma left, he declared his new found motivation to continue his manga.

_What about now? Now that Tenma is gone, what drives Harima to still continue his manga? _Yakumo mentally kicked herself for not realizing it sooner.

Harima said he would help pay the expenses in the house from the money he got from his manga. Was he just continuing his manga to pay for the expenses? It seems shallow. He had weird menial jobs before and even those were more than enough in his share. Why was he still drawing manga? Maybe he just... wanted to? Like a hobby? Was he now making a career out of it?

At the back of her mind, she thought that applying to that editor school was a mistake. It was decided on a whim and she didn't really have plans to go through it. She didn't even understand the lecture at first giving her the impression it wasn't worth continuing. But if Harima would pursue his manga professionally then that hasty decision was the best way to help him out on a long run. Both of them had shown promise but both of them were still amateurs in their first year. There were still room for improvement and if she continued her decision in being a manga editor and Harima continued his manga career then they would spend more time together, having the same field of expertise. It was enough for her to pursue her hastily made decision.

Yakumo willed her mind to stop wandering on its own. Now that she thought about it, she was doing the opposite right now. Realizing she's making her date, dang it, Harima wait, she quickens her pace.

Oh goodness. Sarah's antics were getting into her without her noticing.

She quickly went to Harima's room to make up with lost time. She gently pushed the door open and saw Harima sitting like a statue in the middle of the room. His eyes were closed making it the more strange. The usual small table was propped in front of him and his art supplies were arranged. Yakumo sat in front of him, trying to think what she would do.

_Should I wake him up? Is he sleeping to begin with? Maybe I should greet him?_ Yakumo suddenly found herself staring at Harima's face. There was a big difference from his face than before, she knew. It was not just because he was not wearing shades anymore and he was clean shaven but his composure as well. She went back how Harima calmly answered Sarah's question. He looked so calm and assured. He looked... handsome.

Yakumo's heart skipped a beat and she leaned closer to him. Suddenly, Harima's eyes irised open. Yakumo couldn't take her eyes away from Harima's eyes. Combined his patrician looks, his eyes were very alluring and striking.

To Yakumo's surprise, Harima elicited a yelp and stumbled backwards, his hands trying vainly to hold to the air. There was a loud crash as Yakumo called him out, "Harima!"

Harima replied he was okay as he went back to his previous position. He then began rubbing the back of his neck. "That hurt."

Yakumo bowed and apologized furiously, "I'm so sorry! I should have knocked first! I didn't mean to startle you! I'm so sorry, I'm sorry you've got hurt!" Her eyes started to water up in sheer embarrassment. She wanted to run out of the room but felt a hand touched her shoulder and she looked up.

"No, it's okay. I'm just glad you're now here." Harima said and smiled at her, his alluring eyes curving. Yakumo wanted badly to throw herself to Harima, appearance and consequences be damned. He suddenly retracted his hand from her shoulder and went back to his spot. "I was just thinking of a new story. I would really like to hear your suggestions. Should I make a new story or add new minor characters?"

"Uh, I don't know." Yakumo absently replied. She was mentally kicking herself multiple times now. When did she start thinking of doing such an outrageous act? That alone would undo everything Harima knows of her. That incomplete confession on that walking festival must have been the spark for this crazy idea.

Going back to the task at hand, Yakumo regained her composure and continued, "Maybe you should do some draft first, both for the story and the characters. We'll just weigh later which is better."

"Good thinking, Imouto-san!" Harima exclaimed, receiving a blush from his assistant. "Okay. I already have some ideas for the new characters. I'll sketch them and you tell me if they're good."

"Of course." Yakumo replied. "But what should I do in the meantime?" she added.

Harima blinked. "Hmm, I got it!" He stood up and took a couple of books from a desk. "These are some compiled issues I have made these past few months. I would like you to look into it, in case I might draw a character very similar. Can't have the same characters, right?"

Yakumo took the books and began to look at it. Both artists then started their respective work.

x-x-x

It took an hour when Harima called her, finally finished drawing up his newly created characters. In her part, Yakumo reviewed carefully the character's bio and looks from the past issues. She re-read the whole thing to not skip out on anything. It felt nostalgic for her to see again the results of their hard work. She had thought with a smile in how far they had come in making manga within a short span of time.

"Here Imouto-san." Harima handed Yakumo a stack of papers. "I sketched the characters looking very different from one other so you can have an easy time comparing them. I want your honest opinion, okay." He then turned around to give her thinking space.

Yakumo started to look at the character sketches. Harima did a good job differentiating them all. There were adults, teens and even a little kid. She judged them how the reader might instantly like the character. The character's looks usually caught the reader's eye first than their personality after all.

As she riffled the images and noting them in her mind, a particular character struck familiar to her. It was a young girl with long flowing hair, dressed in a simple white dress with linings from its ends.

_Oh, no. Please. Not you._

She knew who it was: that being that seemed to love to torment her in her lowest of moments. With that monotone voice that always invoked doubts and dread by showing her the truth of what might and will happen to her. It was the manifestation that she kept locked up deep in the recesses of her heart. Many things suddenly assaulted her mind like mad spirits that it rendered her speechless and stunned.

She then found herself staring at the young girl's piercing glare. Her sharp dead eyes were staring straight at her as if she's looking directly at her soul.

Yakumo's hands began to tremble, papers falling out from numb fingers. She saw Harima turning back to her. His lips were moving but there's no sound coming from it. Her breathing became quick gasps and her throat tightened. Her body became stiff and suddenly the table went up to her vision and everything went dark.

* * *

**Author's Corner:** Well, that was a very long chapter. It felt like an intimidating wall of text. It was longer than intended given I wrote both perspectives. I may shorten the succeeding chapters if this was becoming "wordy" for readers. Review on what you think about this chapter being longer than it should be. I, your humble writer, would take heed of it.

Peace.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

* * *

_Characters are now done. _Harima thought_. I think Yakumo would give them personalities according to what they look like. I gave her many examples. The story can be created later. I think I did well._

He then heard papers falling behind him. _Oh. She must be finished. Better get her opinion._

"So, Imouto-san, is it good?" he asked his assistant while turning around. Looking at Yakumo, his eyebrows knotted in confusion. "Imouto-san?"

Something's wrong.

Yakumo didn't put the papers down. The draft sketches were scattered around the table like being dropped. Harima inspected Yakumo closer.

She was trembling, her hands looking like it was clutching something unseen. Her breathing was irregular gasps and her eyes were wide open in frantic shock.

"Are you okay?" Harima slowly asked as panic slowly crept in his mind.

Yakumo slowly raised her head and stared at him. Harima froze for a moment, seeing eyes that didn't look quite normal. Her head then unceremoniously banged down to the table. Harima stood up in panic. He might have uttered a string of curses that would make his former sailor buddies proud if it weren't for Yakumo he so respected was in front of him. He quickly went to her side and shook her gently in his arms.

"Imouto-san! Imouto-san!"

The fainted girl didn't respond. She was still breathing but Harima can't get a response from her. He hasn't seen Yakumo behaved this way before or even looked this terrified. Even in overnight sessions they had, she didn't just suddenly fall asleep, or unconscious for that matter. This one was a whole new thing. He was no doctor but he wasn't that dumb to know something was definitely wrong.

Panic showing in his features, he laid her down on the floor using paper stacks to cushion her head. His mind was going a thousand miles per second and he's still not sure what to do.

_Sarah. She might help me._

With a goal in mind, he ran straight out of the room in reckless abandon, hitting and scattering his art supplies in the process, and went to Sarah's room.

x-x-x

Sarah was about to retire for the night. She had to admit Yakumo owe her. The blonde remembered Tenma and her attempts to make Yakumo and Harima closer together. Back then she couldn't believe it: Yakumo seeing Harima was quite disturbing if not laughable. She was so close to question her about her taste in boys. Yakumo has so many fans and yet she chose someone who didn't like her, and it has to be the most notorious one. The thought of not liking her was in itself incredible with how popular, charming and beautiful Yakumo was to boys. And seriously, it has to be a delinquent of the lowest order.

But in the course of time she was proven wrong in both accounts. Now that she knew Yakumo has in fact had sensible reasons why she like the guy and Harima was actually a very good person despite what others see in him, she felt justified for doing her earlier act.

Harima, for all his faults and shortcomings, was one of the most honorable men she had met. He might not act this way all the time but he can show utmost respect and privacy when it comes to the two of his housemates. He was mild mannered and very responsible around the house. The guy was like the big brother she never knew. Her joke of the day was more of a compliment than a teasing mockery as Harima was really helpful in every way.

Chivalry, it seems, is not yet dead. Funny that the word was associated to knights of old while his manga counterpart is a knight. Quite a connection, really.

In her part, Sarah wasn't experienced when it comes to relationship. And so does Tenma. Matchmaking was not a job for a nun but at least she's acting like a sister to her. From that standing and looking at their impending relationship, it was just begging to happen after the things the two went through. She could now see why Tenma was so adamant to make them into a couple.

They were really suited for one another but they only needed one decisive moment to make their feelings shown, be it caused by a push or a shove. Yakumo has no apparent problems when it comes to her feelings since it's blaringly obvious how she like the man, though it was more subtle and not intrusive. Her shy demeanor might be a bothersome but it was one of her fine traits that most boys found attractive. If it comes to it, she was more likely to accept it first. "If" it comes to it.

The only big hurdle was how Harima will notice those blaring hints right in his face. Sarah had wished she could just throttle the man out of his wits and say to him face-to-face how Yakumo liked him all this time. It was something most boys would die for, and all the while it was being handed to him on a silver platter. How could he not see how lucky he was? Does he really need a beating for realization to dawn on him?

As much as that option was practical and tempting, Sarah needed to watch her steps with the two of them given the current situation. The first thing that comes to mind was it was not conducive to a man who was recovering from heartbreak. Also, she could not let Yakumo be a "rebound". Forcing could worsen it, paving for awkward moments when they're together. Harima needed to realize it himself for their relationship to grow normally. He needed to let go of Tenma and not let it be a stigma between them. Tenma was Yakumo's sister and that will never ever change so Harima needed to come to terms with his past heartaches if they're going to be together.

They needed time. And they have lots of it now that they're living together. Heck, if they're not yet a couple before graduation, she will go back to her first option: whacking the sense out of Harima till he cries for Yakumo.

Leaving her thoughts for now since the outcome still depends on the two, she went to bed for a much needed sleep. Tomorrow was Sunday and she can't afford to be sleepy and absent-minded in front of Mother Superior and be scolded... again.

Sarah was about to close her eyes when she heard an insistent knocking on the door.

_What the?_ Sarah wildly asked in her mind. Just wanting to let this over with, she walked to the door and turned the thumb turn lock. The door suddenly nudged open, revealing a very haggard Harima. Sarah jumped out of surprise.

So much for her awe for the man.

"What the? Harima! What are you doing?!" Sarah shouted at him. Ignoring her questions, Harima took her by the hand and dragged her out of the room. The sudden surge of energy made Sarah jittery. "What's all this about?!"

"It's Yakumo!" Harima finally replied to her. "She just fainted!"

_Fainted? Yakumo?_ Finally aware of the situation and now fully awake, Sarah brushed Harima away and sprinted to his room.

She arrived at Harima's room, her heavy breathing wracking her tiny frame. Looking around the room, she saw Yakumo lay down on the floor and went to her side. _I need to check her vital signs. _She touched her pulse and closed her eyes.

1... 2... 3...

_Nothing's wrong._ Sure her pulse was normal she put an ear close to her best friend's face. _Her breathing seems to be normal,_ Sarah noted. She released a relieved sigh but was worried still.

_Yakumo, not again._

The blonde heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Harima standing by the doorway, looking gravely concerned. Having a chance to observe, she looked around the room. Papers were scattered on the floor next to Yakumo. There were sketches of people upon inspection_. This is from Harima's manga. _

"She just fainted, Sarah. I swear to you." Harima said with a slight strain in his voice, both his hands stretched in surrender. "I tried to wake her up but she didn't even respond."

Sarah looked up at him, a mellow expression in her face. "I know. This has happened before."

x-x-x

_You're all alone now._

_Your father left you and now your sister left you._

_Why are you still being so selfless?_

_What are you getting from all these sacrifices?_

_Won't you think for your own good?_

_Can you make decisions on your own?_

_Will you follow your heart just for once?_

_Why are you still denying yourself?_

_Didn't your sister want to make you happy too?_

_Didn't your father wanted you to meet someone you'll love someday?_

_Do you even have a heart for yourself?_

_Why are you hoping for love but you will just hand it to others?_

_Why are you wasting this chance?_

_Will you just let him go?_

_Just like them?_

_Yes._

_Just like your father._

_Just like your sister._

_You're all alone._

_You have nothing now._

_You reap what you sow_

_Someday you'll meet a person who will make you smile. Someone who will love you for what you really are._

_Daddy, I don't want that! That's stupid! All I need is you, daddy!_

_Someday, you'll understand._

_-/-_

_Why do they never visit us? Do they hate us? We've never done anything wrong so why are they avoiding us?_

_Don't think like that. They're just busy and besides, they live very far away._

_I hate them, daddy. I hate them._

_-/-_

_I don't want to go to school! My sister keeps embarrassing me in front of her friends! Besides, you teach better than most of the teachers there!_

_There is more to it than just lessons and playtime. Why don't you try and make some friends?_

_They're all immature! They know absolutely nothing in class!_

_Don't say things like that._

_-/-_

_Daddy! Daddy! Please don't leave me! You promised me!_

x-x-x

"What do you mean it happened before!?" Harima asked with sudden vehemence than intended. Sarah was visibly startled. "I'm sorry," Harima quickly apologized and asked again in a controlled manner. "I mean, Yakumo has fainted before?"

Sarah replied, looking back at Yakumo. "Yakumo has a tendency to just... 'sleep'." She paused, clearly thinking what the right word to say. "I don't really know myself but it happened multiple times before.

"The first time I saw Yakumo was when she was sleeping alone on a bench. At first, I thought she was just tired. But when she kept doing this, I started to worry. She was even doing it in the middle of the class."

Harima listened intently. Yakumo had helped him in his manga' multiples times before even late into the night but he never saw her passing out. He couldn't help but worry about her even more. He then asked in a confused manner, "Isn't that dangerous? Suddenly fainting to who knows where else?"

"Of course it is," Sarah answered back. "But I think Yakumo is still somewhat aware of her surroundings."

Harima's eyebrows dug even deeper. "What?"

Sensing her explanation didn't made sense even to her own ears, Sarah continued. "I mean, one time, I saw Hanai trying to kiss her on the cheek while she was asleep -"

"Why that sneaky pervert four eyed bastard!" Harima exclaimed. "I'm gonna ki-"He stopped. Seeing Sarah's eyes sharpening and realizing there's a fainted girl in the room, he quickly shut his mouth.

"As I was saying," continued Sarah, "Hanai tried to land one on her. But before Hanai could reach her, she suddenly grabbed his arm and slammed him to the ground. I thought she just woke up and reacted quickly, but she went back to the bench and slept again as if nothing happened. More strange was that others who also saw it say Yakumo still had her eyes closed when she pinned him. I, myself find it hard to believe."

"Woah." Harima breathed out. _Just like Tenma, huh? They really are sisters._ "So she can protect herself even when asleep? Is that it?" he asked more incredulously than confused.

Sarah looked above her head. "I guess, but she doesn't fight back when I touch her. I think she only do so if someone was harming her, or at least has an intention of harming her. I'm not really sure about this, though."

Harima mentally cringed. He suddenly had a vision of Yakumo slamming him hard to the floor. He did shake her earlier._ Boy that was a close one. Hey! Why should I think of that? I will never hurt Yakumo in a million years! _"Couldn't we simply wake her up?" He asked again in the same tone earlier.

"I'd tried but whatever I do she wouldn't wake up. I don't want to try to hurt her or anything so I just wait until she wakes up on her own."

Harima grunted, still processing all this strangeness in his mind.

Sarah then continued, "We should move Yakumo to her room now. Her... 'sleep' usually takes a lot of time."

"Yeah, I guess." Harima scratched his head. "Sarah, could you please prepare her bed while I carry her to her room? We can't afford to let you carry her and I prepare the bed, do we?" He said and smiled.

Appreciating Harima's attempt to lighten the mood, she nodded and stood up. "Sure." Sarah then left the room.

Harima lifted Yakumo with an arm beneath her folded knees and another around her shoulders. She was incredibly light compared to Tenma, not trying to be rude or anything. He carried her to her room and along the way he felt a slight déjà vu.

A memory flashed before his eyes before he even registered it. This has happened before, back when Yakumo got sick all of a sudden.

During the winter break, his animal friends had informed him someone with a name of Tsukamoto needed help. As usual, Harima thought it was Tenma and went in with all haste. Guided by his band of animals, they went to the Tsukamoto's residence. Upon his arrival though, it was actually Yakumo who was in trouble. She was having a high fever and was unconsciously sprawled in the kitchen. There was also a kettle being boiled in the stove. This alarmed him more than anything else. If he got there too late who knows what would had happened if a stove was left opened like that?

Tenma was in a ski resort and Harima had cursed every second for not being there. But with the situation of having his assistant feeling very sick, he had to take care of her. He took care of her for a few days, tending at her needs while drawing his manga. As long as Tenma didn't catch him in the house when she returned home, he should be fine.

The irony of where he's going now wasn't lost on him. He was going to Yakumo's room, the same scene of the crime that got him thrown out in the first place because he couldn't check the bed first before lunging in recklessly. If Yakumo had been in the bed instead of Iori... Harima grimaced. Now having the knowledge of how lethal Yakumo could be in her sleep, he might have a broken rib to go along with his departure.

Harima arrived in Yakumo's room just as Sarah was leaving. She already prepared the futon when he arrived. Sarah bid her housemates goodnight and went back to her own room. Harima went inside and gently placed Yakumo on the bed and covered her with the blanket.

_Oh, man. This is such a disaster,_ Harima thought while sitting beside her, his palm going to his forehead. _This is just bizarre. Hope this goes well._ He stood up to leave but felt a tugging at the one end of his pants. He looked down and saw Yakumo's outstretched hand holding onto him.

"Don't... leave... promise... me." Yakumo weakly murmured in her sleep. Harima was taken aback but resisted the urge to panic.

Feeling a little guilty that somehow this was all his fault, Harima sat down again by her side and held Yakumo's hand, tucking it back to the blanket. "Don't worry, Yakumo," he replied softly. "I won't leave you."

Harima's vision suddenly parted and he found his eyes very heavy. Soon, his whole body seemed to collapse on him, his whole activity of the day finally caught up to him all at the same time. He sprawled to the ground and in a matter of seconds he fell asleep.

Light snores came out of Harima. He was lying on his shoulder and one would seem he was looking directly at Yakumo. His hand was still in Yakumo's hand which in turn squeezed his hand back. A window opened and Iori went inside the room. Finding enough space in the futon, the black cat curled his body and lay down.

* * *

**Author's Corner:** I didn't have Internet connection for weeks (weeks!) so this was posted sooooo late. I haven't given up on this, guys. Hopefully my internetz won't be an ass again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

* * *

It was early Sunday morning. The sky was still in its lulling twilight. From a distance, the faint glow of the sun was slowly spreading out. The chirping birds woke up in their nests to find food for the day. One by one, the few remaining lit up posts in the streets starts to turn off. Some residence of the neighborhood came out of the house to sweep their front yard. As was customary, Sarah woke up.

Since she was a nun, she has Sunday service and rising early was one virtue she must practice. Despite the incident last night, she must attend the Sunday mass, as much as she wanted to look after her best friend. Yakumo's sudden fainting was the first thing that entered her mind once she woke up and that alone woke her spirit considerably. Sarah got out of bed and started combing her long, blonde hair, still thinking about her friend's ordeal.

Yakumo's unusual sleeping habits usually happened during or after class. Yakumo had once said to her that she gets tired easily when people are around her. This might have been why Yakumo had been hesitant to go to crowded places. The only outings she involved herself with were few friends and those were mostly girls, until someone gets wind of it and Yakumo would find herself again in the same situation like before, secluding herself until it was all over. There were times she seemed to be in a headache and would go to a park bench or an empty classroom to lay it off.

Sarah had inquired Tenma of her sister's unusual habits but she, too, didn't know why. Tenma did tell her that it didn't happen in their house giving Sarah an idea that Yakumo's introversion has something to do with this. Maybe it was stress related or a congenital disease that they're not aware of. This had made her worry even more.

From that point on, Sarah appointed herself to be her watcher and keeper when she's around her. As her best friend, she stayed close to Yakumo in case it might happen again. She had made it known to her and Yakumo was tearfully thankful for having a good friend like her.

With her guidance Yakumo's sleep occurred less frequent and she now acted more of herself, even less so when she was included in the tea club. Since boys weren't allowed in the Tea Club, Yakumo was more comfortable and relaxed, staying in the Tea Club in her spare time after school. Sarah had now suspected this has something to do with her hidden anxiety towards boys... and dogs, if their first meeting had any indication.

Sarah woke herself up in her reverie. It was Sunday. She didn't expect her other two roommates to be awake this early.

After doing her morning rituals, she went down to the kitchen to prepare her breakfast. She took a slice of bread and toasted it. Sarah was not a creature controlled by coffee and its addicting caffeine but by another beverage: tea. Like any person who was dependent on a certain beverage, she too couldn't last a day without a cup of tea. She made a tea for herself and buttered the toast. It was just a meager meal since there was food in the church. She just needed the energy in these early few hours of the day.

After her breakfast, she went to the bathroom to take a bath. One advantage of waking up this early was there was no line in the bathroom. After that, she went back to her room to get dressed for her Sunday attire.

She was about to leave when she remembered Yakumo. _I better check her up first. _Sarah went straight up to her room and gently opened the door...

... revealing Harima sleeping beside Yakumo.

"What the! Harima!" Sarah shouted. She quickly put a hand over her mouth. It was practically a rude thing to wake someone up in that manner but this was something else. If Harima was alone in the room, she would have probably shouted her heart out but that wasn't the case.

Sarah went beside Harima and rolled him over, letting him face her. "Harima!" She whispered strongly. "What are you doing here?"

"Ugh, wuzza hell's going on?" Harima said groggily. Sarah's eyebrow twitched.

Indignant this was Harima's first uttered words in a holy Sunday, she slapped him on the cheek quite hard. This finally awakens the offending man.

"What the? Sarah? What are you doing here?" Harima asked deliriously.

"What are YOU doing in here?" Sarah replied, still in her hushed but forceful tone.

"What do you mean?" Harima looked around and turned over his shoulder...

And saw Yakumo sleeping beside him.

_...Oh dear merciful Saviour..._

_...Not again..._

_...The heavens must have hated me..._

Adrenaline quickly pumped up in his veins like gasoline and he stood up as if he just fell from a bed of live coals. His vision was like being blinded by multiple suns but it didn't stop him from getting up. He wanted to shout out but Sarah quickly shushed him.

"Shh! You don't want to wake Yakumo!"

Breathing heavily while staying relatively quiet, Harima willed himself to calm down.

_I didn't do anything._

_I didn't do anything._

_I didn't do anything._

He repeated the words in his mind like a mantra. Sure that it wouldn't suddenly burst out from his mouth he spoke up in a quiet voice. "Sarah, we – I… I didn't do anything. I swear." Sarah made a face she wasn't convinced though so he worried a little more. _Why do people don't believe me when I'm telling the truth!_

Sarah suddenly pulled Harima's ear, leading him out of the room. Harima awkwardly jerked sideways as he tried his best not to utter a word of pain while Sarah closed the door with her other hand.

They went to the kitchen, Harima's ear still in Sarah's vice-like grip all the way. The trek downstairs was excruciating as Sarah was not breaking her stride nor adjusting so Harima had to contort his body to retain a semblance of an ear.

Now in the kitchen and sure they we're beyond hearing distance, Sarah let go of Harima and let loose of her righteous fury, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN YAKUMO'S ROOM!?"

Harima waved both his hands in surrender. "I swear Sarah, I didn't do anything! Believe me!" he replied, sweat beading on his face down to his neck.

Sarah closed her burning eyes and crossed her arms. "Then explain how you ended up there." Each word was its own sentence, distinct and fired like bullets.

Harima had never looked this terrified in front of a holy person. One wrong move and he would probably see his Creator. _She is a nun, right? Do nuns act this way when they're angry? This is God's judgement in human form!_

The accused took a deep breath and tried to calm himself for the umpteenth time, still repeating his mantra and prayer. "Sarah, right after you left I laid down Yakumo on her bed." He saw Sarah nod and he continued. "I was about to leave when Yakumo reached out, tugging one end of my pants." Sarah raised an eyebrow when she heard the word 'pants'.

Right then and there Harima thought Sarah would kick him out of the house, but she remained composed. This was really uncomfortable but Harima continued his story. "She then muttered something that I should stay, like, watch over her or something so I stayed a bit. Right before I knew it I fell asleep and felt something slapping me in the face."

Sarah bowed and put a hand on her chin, clearly thinking about his explanation. Harima stood still like a man waiting his sentence.

"Yakumo do sometimes mutter in her sleep," she finally said.

"Exactly! She asked me not to leave so I did, with about her fainting and all."

"It's quite kind of you now that I've thought about it." Sarah observed, her tone slowly going back to her usual cheery voice. The blonde then looked up to him. To Harima's relief, there's no fire in her eyes anymore or anything resembling a scowl. "Well, I'll slip this one up." Harima wanted to bow on his knees and thank God for his mercy. "But Harima, it's still rude for a boy to sleep in a girl's room." She chided.

"I'm pretty aware of that." Harima replied grimly.

"Ok, now that everything's accounted for, I'm going to the church." Sarah turned around. "By the way, I'm sorry for acting presumptuous earlier. And for that slap and that ear pulling. It was mean of me." She said in a slightly sullen voice.

Harima weakly smiled, massaging what kind of an ear he had recovered. "No, that's alright. You were only concerned for her. There's no shame in that."

Sarah turned over her shoulder and smiled at him, "I'm right. You'll definitely be a good husband someday!" For once than he could ever imagine, Harima laughed at her quickly aging joke.

_Wait. Husband?_

"Well, take care now. Look after Yakumo for me, okay?"

"Sure." Harima looked on as Sarah went out of the house. He left out a sigh he didn't knew he was holding. Another speeding bullet dodged this time. He was seriously questioning his luck with all these things happening in his life. _Well, at least I'm still staying here._

x-x-x

Harima went back to his room, finally. Sighing along the way he still couldn't imagine he was still staying here. If Tenma was the one who caught him, he'll probably visit the hospital first for multiple stab wounds and psychological trauma.

Opening the door, the first thing he saw was the mess in the middle of the room. Papers, pencils and various art supplies were scattered all around. Since he was all night in Yakumo's room (still shuddering about that harrowing incident), Harima forgot to tidy his things up. It went all haywire when Yakumo suddenly fainted. It became even weirder when Sarah arrived and explained the situation.

It was all too strange for his simple mind to absorb all these things. But then again, what should he expect from a sister of Tenma? He saw how Tenma sleep and her rather rambunctious demeanor before. She would mutter nonsensical things or do some crazy reactions and will just go back to sleep as if nothing happened. She didn't faint like Yakumo though, which was a big difference.

Harima went back to that moment before Yakumo fainted. She looked so afraid and lost as if she just saw a ghost. Her blood drained from her face and her eyes were wide and terrified. It was so unnerving to say the least.

_Does she really look like that before she faints?_

He forgot to tell it to Sarah since his mind can't still function properly back then. Fear, concern, panic and bewilderment mingled together, forming cobwebs in his thought process. Knowing a weird side of Yakumo was shocking and he only asked questions that first pop up in his mind.

And then, she murmured something to him.

It was almost a heartbreaking thing to see, looking at Yakumo weakly pleading in her sorry state. She wasn't even conscious at the time and yet she somehow knew he was about to leave. Harima couldn't leave her who so desperately needed company after what she went through. He didn't specifically know what she really went through but the expression she made before she fainted gave him an idea it wasn't a good ordeal.

Thinking of her situation, he began to pick up his art supplies. He decided he would just do his comics in her room to watch over her. Despite that it's now a forbidden area to be in, with how several times he was caught in a silly misunderstanding, he would not leave her until she wakes up on her own.

Harima grabbed his things and went out of the room. It was still early morning to prepare for breakfast. He would just have breakfast with Yakumo to have a talk with her. The paper sketch he showed to her definitely triggered something and that needed an explanation from her. He grabbed an apple from the kitchen table to elevate the early pangs of hunger and went to Yakumo's room.

Setting up his things on the low table like the one he has in his room, he sat down to his work, occasionally taking a bite from the apple. Yakumo was still asleep so no radio or TV for background sounds was an option. Harima looked around and realized this was the first time he fully observed Yakumo's room. Back then, he either collapsed or was thrown out so he didn't have a chance to do it.

Yakumo's room was pretty bare. It was stark and utilitarian for a better word. Unlike the other rooms, this room has a more traditional vibe to it, staying true to the overall design of the house. There was a typical low desk, cabinets with sliding covers on the walls, a small table, a closet with a sliding door, and a futon on the floor where Yakumo is. Harima remembered there was a bed instead of a futon when he first went in here back then.

He would never forget that first visit in his entire life.

Unlike most girls' room, it didn't have any stuffed toys of various sizes and types littering the room. No charms or frilly decorations with varying colors. No obnoxious bright rugs and posters. No giant mirrors or various beauty products in any desks. No electrical devices with wires like jungle vines strewn around. No one would even guess this was a girl's room

Despite the lack of modernity the room was comfortable and serene. The breeze from the single large window permeated a sense of tranquillity and peace. There were traditional decorations of wind chimes, lamps and some vertical paintings of silhouetted landscapes. There was even a well kept bonsai in one desk near the window. The house didn't have big fabulous gardens like the ones in Eri's mansion but Harima supposed that Yakumo tended to this lone bonsai with great care to compensate for it. Harima amused a thought that if Yakumo would tend a garden it would be grander than any gardens he saw in Eri's mansion. It would be more Oriental than European however, but he preferred that style since it wasn't very imposing and showy.

With that in thought and combining the appeal of all these things, Harima felt he went back in time, with the room having an ambiance that put emphasis on tradition rather than convenience. One would seem this room was ripped straight right out of 16th century Japan.

Yakumo was surely a girl who preferred the solemn stillness and calm of long ago rather than be surrounded by the luxuries of modern times - a really rare girl in this day and age. This observation made Harima respect her even more - if that was even possible with how many notches and reasons Harima had respect for her.

Before he started thinking to be a poet instead of a comic artist, Harima went back to his work. Since Yakumo didn't give her invaluable insight last time, he was in a standstill, not knowing what the best course of action. Thinking back about last night, drawing the characters were a breeze to do instead of making up the whole story. Characters can be put in every story he came up with so it may be best if he do it again.

He grabbed a pencil and started to draw. As he was drawing, his pencil suddenly stopped moving.

_Wait. Should I sketch the ones I drew yesterday? We don't want to repeat that spectacular event like last time. So..._

_Damn it! _Harima cursed in his mind, gritting his teeth so he won't voice it out loud._ What should I draw this time!? _He put his hands to his temples, forcibly trying to squeeze any idea from his brain. His eyes then fell upon Yakumo. He blinked. He had seen Tenma sleep before but this will be the first time he'll be observing Yakumo sleep.

Back on that winter break, he took care of her when she became sick all of a sudden. But because Tenma threw his sorry ass out of the house, he kept an eagle eye around. He stayed in the living room for most of the time, occasionally checking on Yakumo to see if she's alright. On her part, she weakly assured him that she won't speak any about this to her sister so that Tenma would not worry about her. But Harima had his own reasons and won't take any chances. If he even saw a glimpse of Tenma's shadow he'll cut and run like a man chased by a thousand demons.

For the first time, everything ended well. Yakumo recovered and thanked him. She even offered that she could help him in his manga and he could stay. Harima politely refused her offer, still not wanting her to exert effort after being sick, and also about avoiding Tenma catching him back in their house. He left and that was that. Another bullet dodged... or prevented.

Harima continually stared at her sleeping form. She looked so serene and peaceful. It was the complete opposite of her older sister. While Tenma was so active in her sleep, muttering and gesturing all sorts of weird phrases and actions, Yakumo was still and unmovable like a statue. Her rhythmic breathing was the only indication of movement that she was still alive and well. A thought then passed through his mind.

_I think she won't mind so what the heck._ Harima then started to draw again.

After an intermediate amount of time, Harima finished some of his sketches. It was past 7:30 and his hungry stomach was making a ruckus from time to time. Yakumo was still asleep, though. She usually woke up between 6 or 7 in the morning during weekends.

"I better make breakfast." He whispered. He first thought that he would assist her in making breakfast. Sarah was right. Yakumo do sleep this long. He tidied up his things and went out of the room, slowly closing the door behind him. Sarah had her Sunday activities so it's up to him to look after Yakumo.

He went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Opening the fridge, he contemplated what he should prepare. After scrounging for a few seconds, a thought passed through his mind when he saw a particular food.

_Maybe I should make an English style breakfast? It couldn't hurt to be adventurous, doesn't it?_

He had been taught about it by Nakamura and his staff from one of their meetings. It was simple eggs and bacon, toast and butter, and pancakes and waffles if necessary. The beverages were coffee, milk or tea. It's simple and easy to do and Harima thought it was so because rich people don't want to inconvenience themselves this early in the morning.

Fortunately, Yakumo has all sorts of groceries in the fridge. She once said Tenma has a knack for suggesting food out of the blue and so she stored all types of food. Sarah, too, had remarked that she missed the kind of breakfast she had in England.

Counting the right amount for the both of them, he pulled a few eggs from a tray and some bacon strips. Opening the stove to heat the frying pan, he grabbed the slices of bread and put it into the toaster. For beverages, he opted to go for tea since both his housemates prefer tea over any beverages. He brewed a pot of tea and then he went to fry the eggs and bacon.

After several minutes, the breakfast was set up in the table. The only missing was the pancakes or waffles. Thinking he should go the extra mile, he then went to make them.

_Well, at least Yakumo won't be bothered when she wakes up, _Harima thought with a small smile.

x-x-x

_"Daddy! Daddy!" A young girl cried. "Please don't leave me! You promised me!"_

_"There was an accident. Your dad... Your dad is..."_

_"No, he's not! He will come back!"_

_x-x-x_

_"It's all your fault! It's all your fault that daddy won't be able to go home! I hate all of you!" Her relatives just stared at her with a detached expression, neither giving a concerned glance nor comforting words. A little girl with small pigtails was crying too, but she was surrounded by her friends trying to comfort her._

_In all of this, she found herself alone. All alone_

Yakumo's eyes fluttered open.

* * *

**Author's corner:** Sorry if the plot was moving at a snail's pace. I also retconned the part about Yakumo's room, though. Artistic liberty and whatnot!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

* * *

Yakumo woke up feeling lost and dazed. The dreams she had in her sleep were quickly leaking out from her mind, like holding fine sand or oil in her palm. The more she tried to remember, the more disjointed and unbelievable it sounded.

But the emotion incurred by her dreams was still there.

There was an irrational fear she was feeling. All the details of why she was feeling this way was quickly slipping away. Grasping any reasons for it was hopeless. Her head felt so hot, but she felt cold everywhere. She raised a hand and instinctively touched her forehead, feeling a slight pain.

_What happened?_ _I'm in my room?_

Not wanting to dwell on evasive dreams, she tried to remember what happened last night.

_I had supper, a miso crab stew cooked by Harima. Sarah volunteered to wash the dishes. I went to help Harima in his manga. I was looking at pictures of-_

Her eyes widened. Her mind was suddenly bombarded by long buried memories, things she had thought was now in the past.

I am your heart.

_I am your loneliness._

_I am the pain that you have created._

_You are all alone now._

_You reap what you sow._

You're supposed to be gone! Why are you back!

Yakumo curled up in a ball as horrible realization seized her.

_How did this happen? How did Harima saw her? Is it just coincidence?_

She suddenly wanted to go back to sleep. It was more peaceful there, this utter nonexistence. Compared to what she's feeling now, it was bliss. She was hoping that when she woke up again it would be all a dream and the day would start over anew without any of those happening. She might even go back when her sister was still around.

Was she running away again? Was she cowering back to her sister's protection? The thought slashed through her mind and it jolted her awake.

_No!_

_I won't run away!_

Gathering up all her will, she sat up straight and it made the world spin in her vision. She then heard a rustling in the bed. Looking at her side, she saw Iori waking up. "I'm sorry to startle you." Yakumo said to the cat. The cat simply went to her lap and purred. Smiling, she said, "Good morning to you too."

Feeling a little bit better, Yakumo got up from the bed and tidied it up. She looked outside her window to feel the fresh morning breeze. Her eyes suddenly squinted, raising a hand up to shield it from the sun's bright rays. It felt hot on her face. It only meant one thing...

_Oh gosh! I slept too long! I should make breakfast!_

Her mind was screaming at her that she needed to do it now. It was a practice born out of years of routine that it felt an obligation instead of a simple need. Gears finally spun in her mind waking her up instantly. She quickly checked herself in a small mirror and dashed outside the room.

On her way to the kitchen she smelled something familiar. Her stride slowed but she kept moving. She came close to the kitchen and abruptly stopped, seeing someone that wasn't supposed to be there.

A man was flipping a pancake in the air, whistling as he did so. His head bobbled up and down, staring at the food dropping in and out of the frying pan. His posture was laid back as if he was enjoying what he was doing.

_Dad?_

Yakumo moved closer, her bare feet making tapping sounds on the floor. The man turned around.

"Oh, good morning Imouto-san." He greeted. Her dad suddenly vanished, replacing that of an image of Harima. "I made breakfast." The falling pancake missed the frying pan and Harima jerked in an awkward motion trying to save the doomed food.

It fell to the floor with a splat.

"Crap!" Harima cursed his clumsiness. "When I was making a record in flipping pancakes..."

Yakumo blinked, still processing all these things. Making sure she wasn't dreaming, she closed her eyes and shrugged her head rapidly. Opening her eyes, her vision slowly cleared, showing Harima cleaning the floor.

Like a switch turning on, Yakumo quickly went to him and began to crouch to the floor. "Please let me clean that up." Harima suddenly looked up to her and both their faces came within inches from hitting one another. This time, it was Yakumo's turn to be surprised.

Surprised, she quickly reeled her head back and she staggered backwards. Her hand quickly reached out to the kitchen counter, holding on for dear life. Having balanced herself somehow, Yakumo felt blood going to her cheeks in embarrassment. When did she became a total klutz?

"You okay?" Harima asked.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." Yakumo sheepishly replied and bowed. She then felt a finger touching her forehead and she winced.

"Sorry," Harima apologized and quickly retracted his hand. "You have a bruise here," he noted. "It might be from last night. Here, let me get some ice."

_What? After that near head collision, he only noticed my forehead?_ Yakumo asked herself incredulously.

"I already made breakfast. Feel free to eat anytime." Harima informed her.

Forcing her mind to work normal for once, Yakumo complied. She went to the table and stared at the food. There were small plates of omelettes and bacon, toast bread and a slice of butter, a brewed teapot, and a rather tall stack of pancakes. It was kinda extravagant and the food slightly shined and glistened. From her vast inventory of cooking repertoire she recognized it as an English breakfast. She wondered why Harima set this all up.

If she remembered correctly she added this in her grocery list when she heard Sarah absently remarked her breakfast back when she was still living in England. She took note of it like she always does when Tenma was curious if she saw a particular meal in TV or at a restaurant. She didn't expect it would turn the other way around and it will be prepared for her instead.

With that in thought, this was the first meal Harima prepared specifically for her.

During the winter break, she was barely conscious when Harima took care of her. She didn't have the luxury to think too much about it. Her head had felt like it was made of fragile glass with small metal bearings rolling inside. If she moved her head, the metal bearings jangled against each other inside her delicate skull, causing inordinate amounts of pain and making her vision spin erratically. She even barely registered the taste of the meal Harima prepared for her. It was then when she recovered that she realized Harima was the one who took care of her and didn't even remember much of it. Regretting as it sounds, Yakumo was grateful that Harima had at least took care of her and he did it like a father would do to his sick daughter.

He told her he checked up on her when Pyotr told him she needed help. It was still a mystery to her how did Harima understood his animal friends but the weird young giraffe did have a knack to visit her often. Guess he saw her passing out and quickly went to Harima for help.

Aside from that odd emergency call, there are no awkward moments between the two of them. He'd treated her with utmost respect, giving her distance to not intrude her and occasionally checking her if she needed anything. She even recovered faster when Harima was in the house. It actually felt like it was her actual dad who was taking care of her.

Yakumo sat down on a chair while Harima was scrounging for ice in the fridge when an unbidden idea shot up through her mind.

They were like newlyweds in their first house together except Harima was the housewife.

She shrugged the invasive idea away, chalking it up to her fainting. Why was she thinking more of this idea lately? It was unbecoming of her to think such thoughts. She really needed to get a hold of herself before things get out of hand.

Grabbing a sliced toast, she buttered it in what look like a plain amount. It felt odd for her to eat anything other than rice and soup with various side dishes this early in the morning. The meal in front of her was quite heavy and she only ate what was necessary for the morning. It didn't mean she was on a diet but she was just used to eating what she really needed.

But Tenma was different. Yakumo suspected that her older sister would like this kind of a full breakfast. With shimmering bacons and omelettes and a stack of pancakes dripping with maple syrup, Tenma would eat this stuff breakfast, lunch and dinner. She didn't mean an offending thought but it was just in her sister's loving nature. Tenma would do what her heart tells her to do even though she would likely regret it later. If America usually has this kind of breakfast then Tenma would adjust to the meal faster than her.

While Yakumo was pouring some tea, Harima set the ice pack on the table. "Here, it's for your bruise. It will relieve some of the pain somehow." He said in a concerned tone. Even his voice sounded paternal.

Yakumo grabbed the ice pack and brought it to her forehead without much thought. As a result, a sudden chill tore through her and she felt herself freeze. The insistent headache from when she woke up though finally subsided. She released a relieved sigh. At least it was not a bunny shaped ice that would slowly melt on her forehead, drenching her face with cold water.

Seeing her doing fine, Harima turned on a radio to fill the silence with welcoming noise. Yakumo somehow dreaded it would be like the time when a sudden blackout occurred in Harima's apartment. But instead of a DJ spouting terrible love advices, it was the morning news telling upbeat subjects that was not utterly awkward for once. They ate their breakfast after things settled down.

Unlike her minimalist eating, Harima ate breakfast with gusto. He remarked he learned to prepare this sort of breakfast from his dealings with Eri. Despite he was usually half-hearted in Eri's appointments at least he learned something out of it that he could apply. Yakumo appreciated him for making small talks first instead of directly interrogating her about last night. She wasn't really sure if Harima was being this tactful or it was just in his nature but she liked him more for it either way.

After a while, a brooding silence hung over them. The sound from the radio was slowly fading as the news was nearing its end. If there was a cue when the issue would be addressed then this had to be it.

Knowing the setting atmosphere or not, Harima stared at her after almost finishing his second filling. "Imouto-san, I know this is a personal thing but," he paused, looking uncomfortable.

Yakumo placed down her cup of tea and looked at him. Of course. This was about her fainting last night. She knew this would come up sooner or later.

"About last night, are you sure you're okay?" Harima asked, concern coloring his tone.

"Yes, I feel better now." Yakumo's face then mellowed. "I'm sorry for passing out like that."

"Don't worry. No harm done. But, I've been meaning to ask you: is there something wrong in my sketches? You seemed like you'd seen a ghost."

Yakumo winced. _It's because I saw one._ She bit her lip in an effort to not mutter it absently. The irony of the joke was morbidly laughable how true and appropriate it was. What should she say in return? Have you seen a ghost girl walking around the house? That would scare or drive him out if he knew such thing exists. He might take it as a joke but her reaction she showed last night said otherwise. It was her burden to bear and she can't afford to involve others.

Harima apparently noticed her discomfort. "Well, if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. I got something different, though. Just came up this morning – if you don't mind." He quickly added.

There it was again. This manner of speaking that didn't force her to give an answer. Why was Harima only doing this while others especially her classmates always force her to give an answer when she didn't want to? Instead, he changed subjects to avoid it altogether. This broke her out of her fearful shell. Maybe that's one reason why she was comfortable talking with him.

"O-of course, it's okay. I'll try my best to stay awake this time." Yakumo opted to lighten the mood. This seemed to work as Harima smiled in return.

Both of them cleaned the table after their conversation and breakfast. Since Harima prepared breakfast, Yakumo volunteered to wash the dishes, saying a little chore might do her a little good. He politely thanked her for her consideration. As he was about to leave the kitchen, he remembered something.

"Uhm, Imouto-san?"

Yakumo turned around.

"Well, I kinda left my stuff in your room." Harima said, his hand scratching the back of his head.

"My room?"

"I watched over you last night." Yakumo looked startled. Harima caught himself too late.

_Oh no. Not again._

Harima sensed subtleties were sparking again. He only watched her this morning but staying all night in her room might have been practically the same. Not wanting to throw dynamite to the coal pit by explaining the whole thing all over again, he bowed low to the ground. "I swear on my honor, I'll never do something disgraceful."

"I trust you, Harima. Don't worry. It is I that should be apologizing." Yakumo calmly replied. Harima was taken aback after hearing how easily she let it slip and instead blamed it on herself.

_Woah. Seriously? That was easier than I thought. _Harima stood up awkwardly as Yakumo went back to her chore. Sarah and Yakumo might have the same sweet disposition but Yakumo seemed to be more level headed than Sarah does.

"I'll just return my things in my room and bring the sketch here. Be right back." He then scurried out of the kitchen. Yakumo smiled a little bit, a rueful tilt in her mouth, as she remembered a very similar incident.

x-x-x

A moment later, Harima went back with his sketch and sat on a chair, waiting for Yakumo who was almost finished washing the dishes. After her chore, she removed the apron, hanging it from a hook on the wall, and she then joined him.

"I've been thinking lately," Harima started talking. "Instead of just making a whole new story or minor characters, why not add a main character instead? Like a sidekick for the hero, perhaps? Since the heroine..." he suddenly paused. His faced mellowed a split second and he continued, "The heroine is gone so I need another character that can fill her place.

"Here," Harima handed Yakumo a white folder instead of a bunch of papers like last night. "Just close it if you find something... wrong." Harima glanced sideways, feeling a little nervous.

Yakumo nodded. She opened the folder and saw...

...a drawing of her.

Yakumo's eyes widened in surprise. She blinked a couple of times to check if she was really seeing it and she's not just dreaming again. Something within her quickly banished her doubts for a part of her didn't want it to be false. Focusing her vision once again, she saw her sharp eyes and her hairstyle. It was unmistakable it was her. She was wearing what looked like the costume she wore during the Culture Festival. It was a witch's attire, complete with a witch's hat and a curled staff. There were slight variations like a scarf on her neck that could hide the half of her face.

In the upper part corner there was a comical version of Harima saying "Face tomorrow and hang in there". This was also the same doodle he did when she adviced him to never give up on his manga during the culture festival. This part was more for her to cheer her up after witnessing her fainting last night. She was vaguely aware Harima saw her shocked reaction and so he added this part for her.

Harima cleared his throat. "I know this may sound weird but, as a token of my appreciation, I included a character just like you, since you've helped me out a lot. I thought that since my main character is a knight and yours is a witch or sorceress or whatever, they sounded a really good duo."

Still clutching the folder, Yakumo was fighting multiple battles within her. She didn't know if she should faint, cry, smile, laugh, scream or do all at the same time. That encouragement from a doodle of Harima was more than enough but actually adding her as a main character? It was really pulling her heartstrings way beyond her control.

Remembering that she would do her best not to faint on him, she summoned all her self control that she could muster to weather this storm of emotions. She raised the folder up to head level to hide from Harima's view just to be safe.

"It's a... good and... refreshing take." Yakumo finally strung a couple of words.

"You think so? I haven't had a name or a background story for her, though." Harima touched his chin. "What do you think?"

"If you give me some time... I'll think of something."

"Ah, of course! I'm sorry for being too forward there." Harima leaned back to his chair. His eyes then drifted to a note sticking to the fridge. "Oh crap! I should be buying food for Shiba!" Harima stood up and quickly grabbed the note. "Good timing. While I'm going to the store, you think of something for this character's bio. I won't be long, okay?" He went outside the kitchen and was gone.

Yakumo waited for the sounds of the front gate sliding close and then of the rumbling engine of a bike going weaker and weaker. When she heard the much awaited sounds, tears finally burst out from her eyes, unable to contain it any longer. Placing the folder on the table to avoid being stained by her flowing tears, she bowed as joy, excitement, appreciation and satisfaction came in a sudden torrent. She felt she hasn't been this happy in years.

She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth in an attempt to not do something other than silently cry as her tears kept pouring in.

x-x-x

Having a time to recover from such an exhausting battle of her inner feelings, Yakumo went to the sink. The cool water was soothing and refreshing as she continued to splash her face. Her eyes would be a bit swollen but she could live with that.

It was very fortunate Harima had something to do at that moment. And it needed him to get away from the house. She wasn't sure if she could last long if Harima was somewhere within the vicinity.

Showing emotions to other people felt too foreign for her. The only ones who had seen her cry was her sister and Sarah. Those people understood why she felt that way and she was at ease. Harima, on the other hand, would likely be freaked out. On the walking festival she nearly cried in front of him but she regained her composure at the last second. Just by leaning on him she felt so secured that she forgot her earlier melancholy. If he saw her crying, he would probably thought something was wrong first before coming to other conclusions.

Even so, she was extremely happy. It would take a definite something that would make her show raw emotions. They are so few and far between and so he treasured it in her heart.

This was the last time she could remember that she cried out of pure joy. The previous one was when she and her older sister saw the top view of Yagami City from the roof of Yagami High during Christmas season when they were children. It was magnificent and marvellous. She had thought that no scenery in the world could ever move her heart but she was mistaken. It was all made possible by a boy who dressed up as her father to appease her somehow. She never did know that boy's name, much to her dismay, and she had resolved one day that she would find out.

Still feeling elated, Yakumo looked around and noticed something was changing. The environment slowly became dim all around her. The appliances and counters were being swallowed by the darkness glowing with strands of scarlet red. The sink she was facing was now gone and she found herself standing on nothing as she heard a familiar voice.

"We meet again..."

Yakumo turned around and saw a young girl slowly coalescing from the darkness, lighting it with an ethereal green glow.

* * *

**Author's Corner: **There's several parts of this chapter that alludes to the anime and manga. The last one would be from School Rumble Z. I don't really like that spin-off because it's pretty short and it didn't help much the series overall. But it doesn't mean it wasn't interesting in the slightest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

* * *

"We meet again." The ghost casually greeted.

An uncharacteristic frown formed on Yakumo's face. She wanted to stride forward and slap the ghost back from where she came from. This ghost usually appears in her melancholic moments but can now appear at her happiest. She still can't fathom how this entity can barge in whenever she pleases. Its entrance to her life was sudden, such as this one.

It was a horrible revelation indeed that not only she can see thoughts but ghosts as well. This entity shows up in her lowest of moments, questioning her with brutal honesty that made her rethink of her decisions. Her doubts seemed to fuel the spirit as she showed sadistic glee whenever she showed signs of it.

For a time, the spirit revealed she was a part of her, born out of the sadness and loneliness she pent up inside. Yakumo couldn't hide anything from this entity especially if said entity was the embodiment of her subconscious.

From their supposedly last encounter, Yakumo finally confronted and proclaimed bravely she was her own master and not some negative emotion ruling her through fear. No matter how painful or hard or long it took, she would face it in all certainty. The ghost, finally seeing her stood up for herself, showed a lighter side, acting like a little kid that she was and laughing at her melodramatic act. The ghost left, treating all these encounters as some sort of child's play and hoping to "play" with her again.

Yakumo thought she banished this dark part of her once and for all. But not everything was what it seemed.

Seeing her in Harima's sketches was a total shock. If Harima could see her she realized this was something more than just her inner demons; the grim realization that it wasn't over caused her to faint in terror.

Knowing that this entity, this part of her subconscious, could appear to someone she knew she felt a sudden fear for the safety of her loved ones. Once it appeared to her sister but it lacked form or body and was neither malicious nor sinister. Tenma took it that she was just imagining things and it never bothered her again.

But if this ghost had appeared to Harima and he saw what she really looked like...

"Why are you doing this?" Yakumo directly asked, not wanting to spare the details.

The ghost tilted her head. "I see you've changed from when we last met."

"Answer me."

The ghost gave an almost infinitesimal smile at her demand. "It seemed you're aware I've appeared to your beloved. I simply wanted to play with him. I didn't have the chance from when he last stayed here since his heart was still not in shambles. Although I have to admit, I half expected him to run away upon our first meeting."

"I thought you're just-"

"A part of you?" the ghost finished for her. "I told you before I was here long before you were born." The girl slowly walked around. "His presence here made things rather... difficult for me. As much as I try, I cannot penetrate his mind nor can I instill dread in his heart."

Yakumo was perplexed. "What do you mean?" she asked, curiosity overriding her anger.

"His will and mind are still strong despite what he had experienced. His heart is broken, true, but there's something shielding his mind. Call it "mental dissonance" if you will. His devotion to your sister is what kept you from reading his mind, but there is more to it than that."

Yakumo was more surprised. _I'm right that it's his love for my sister closed his mind from me, but there's something more?_

When she had first helped Harima in his manga, a strange occurrence happened. She had finally read his mind for once. But for some reason it was incomplete. She had seen "Cute. T-. . ." beside the back of his head on that fateful night. Her mind reading abilities never failed her before which made the matter stranger. It always showed what people thought of her down to the last letter. But to him it was incomplete. As suddenly as it appeared, it vanished quickly when he woke up from whatever daze he was in.

She had suspected she might have imagined it since it was late into the night. The rest of the letters were hidden by his head, after all. It never happened again though so she had dismissed it and never pondered it anymore.

But upon hearing the ghost's words, her suspicions resurfaced.

Something was indeed blocking it, preventing her from reading his mind even further.

"I now know why you love him so much." The young girl continued. '"He is a very unique person as much as you are. Gifted in the supernatural only few people have. Though he is dim and stubborn, he's strong and courageous, neither regretting nor doubting his decisions. It is what gave him a strong will. That is why you so admire him – because you are the polar opposite of him.

"We'll see who will last in this game of charades you're playing. Till we meet again..." At this the ghost slowly vanished, her red eyes two points of gleaming light in the eerie darkness.

"Wait!" Yakumo reached out to the ghost's disappearing form. For the first time, she wanted the ghost to stay and talk to her. She has so many burning questions to ask. So many things she wanted to clarify. Was Harima supernaturally gifted too? Was that how he's able to see her? How did she knew that?

Yakumo might not know if the young girl was helping her or not but it was still her choice that would matter in the end. The surroundings became hazy and, feeling nauseous and light-headed, she collapsed to the immaterial floor, insensate.

x-x-x

Yakumo woke up in a start.

She found herself sitting on a chair. Glancing at the wall clock, she noticed the time didn't even moved from when she had the conversation with the ghost. There were tear tracks and smudges in her face and she quickly went to the kitchen sink to wash her face. The cold sensation of water brought surprising calm to her.

The ghost's cryptic words were still lingering in her mind. She wanted to question Harima about it but ultimately decided to keep the issue to herself once again. Her sister and Harima had resisted the ghost upon their first meeting and maybe that would be the last the ghost will appear to him. If she told him about it, he might freak out and it might worsen the situation.

She was also feeling somewhat relieved upon knowing Harima's strange mind resistance since it didn't mean he didn't have feelings for her. It gave her hope but still, she really wanted to know what he thought of her.

Now that Harima was brought out, good thing he hasn't come back yet. Catching her teary eyed and looking wasted, not to mention being unconscious again, he might start thinking differently about her. It's been nearly twice in a row now she'd acted uncharacteristically in front of him. Maybe next time she would laugh hysterically to prove she was now out of control.

While waiting for him, Yakumo starting to look for some chores around the house. Fainted or not, it was automatic for her to be busy. It was Sunday. Back when Tenma was around, it was their cleaning day, until Tenma got invited by her friends and she'll scurry out of the house like she had been freed from forced labor. Yakumo understood her sister being this carefree and she has no compunctions to do the majority of the chores, but having two new housemates that could actually help out, the chores to do around the house became less and less.

Not finding any chores to do, Yakumo went back to the kitchen. There was a folder in the table and she remembered what she supposed to do. How did she forgot about it was beyond her. It was easy to do the chores in autopilot instead of mulling over how unfair the situation was.

Sitting at the chair, she grabbed and opened the folder.

_They sounded a really good duo._

Yakumo heard again in her mind. Narrowing her eyes, she replayed that moment in her mind, reviewing every second for all it was worth.

It was like a declaration that they're now together. It would have been the cheesiest way to propose a confession and to be honest with herself she would fall for it. It has more impact since it was unexpected and out of the blue just like a confession should be. Other boys that confessed to her have their feelings plastered above their heads so it wasn't that surprising. She knew it already before it was voiced out. This, however, was totally unexpected as her usual steely inner guard was still reeling from the shock last night. Harima also delivered it in a very casual manner without any pretense despite of its great significance.

But to Harima, it would also be just that: it just sounds good. It will fly over his head of what that great significance was. He'll stick to the most basic and simplest of meaning without even considering any connotations of what the phrase mean. It was what he said it was and Harima hasn't been vague with her. It was always straight to the point without any underlying meaning. She had cried thinking that Harima had moved on and now took notice of her but upon pondering about it, Harima might had done it for an entirely different reason.

On the walking festival last school year she had asked him for a walk to take her mind off of the impeding heart break of her older sister. She was tired emotionally but upon walking with him he started talking about something unexpected.

The setting was perfect on that moonlit night. They were alone beneath the foliage of the trees and the ever present buzzing sounds of insects were absent as if the whole world had set this up. He then spoke with a familiar nervousness she had heard before from so many people.

A confession, a declaration of being together had passed through his lips before she registered what he was saying. He was now saying they should be together from now on. It was strange: she asked him for a walk and he's the one who confessed. Had he thought she was about to confess to him and so he went ahead and did it first? Harima's motives were simply inscrutable to her, given his mind was always blank. But surely, even he could not be this naive if he said the exact words that they should be together from now on, right?

And then, all of it was completely derailed when he told her what he really means. He actually meant it in a professional level and not in a relationship. He even thought she may be bothered working with him if she liked Karasuma, which she had denied wildly. If that wasn't enough he misunderstood her incomplete confession for something else entirely.

It seemed Harima's obliviousness knew no bounds.

Upon hearing him twisting her words, her feelings for him had wavered, thinking he was not the right person for her even with all the cues and subtleties of the world. Any girl would have run away crying in disappointment for his callousness to a girl's heart.

But she was not just any girl. Seeing him beaming with pride at her even though it was for a different reason, she felt that there was still a chance, a glimmer of hope that she was wrong for thinking he was not right for her. And with that same hope she clung to it, even now.

The fact that Harima had managed to replace the heroine that symbolizes her older sister suggest a step of moving on. It was not an easy thing to let go something he dearly loved. His manga revolved much about the heroine and her absence would leave a gaping hole in the story. Now that Harima presented her new character to be a sort of replacement for the heroine, the spotlight will shine on her. It may not be the same treatment like the original heroine but it was a step forward nonetheless.

It actually sounded he now replaced Tenma for her but given Harima's nature this, too, could still be inconclusive. It was frustrating and yet knowing it could be plausible both ways she felt somehow relieved.

Thinking now about her character than any other, Yakumo started to think for its background story. It was quite exciting, connecting a fictional character with yourself. No one knows one better than oneself and what better way to show it using a fictional character. It was interesting to observe and know how oneself act in a different perspective.

Also, Harima would of course add something of his own in that character. It may be a reflection of what he thought of her. She would have a chance to indirectly know his thoughts depending on what he brought to the character. It gave her the idea she must make this character as close to herself as possible in order for Harima to give his thoughts on what he knew of her.

After several minutes of brainstorming, she finally thought of something that would really fit the character. She would now be directly involved in Harima's manga instead of just inking layouts or speaking out feedback. The story flow would still depend on him, however, but that only excited her further since she was curious how Harima would handle it.

While waiting for him, Yakumo felt butterflies in her stomach. It was a foreign feeling she had not felt before and it made it the more excruciating. She felt she hasn't been this impatient in her life. Closing the white folder, she returned it back to the table. A single tear suddenly fell down on her cheek. Wiping it off with one hand, she reminded herself to be strong from now on.

Things have changed, definitely.

After the longest 30 minutes of Yakumo's life, she heard a distant engine of a motorcycle. The rumbling sounds became loud and abruptly stopped. She felt her stomach cramp in anticipation upon hearing the front door sliding open. Willing herself to calm down, she patiently waited in the kitchen.

Harima entered the kitchen clutching a big sack of dog food. Yakumo greeted him in a casual manner and Harima greeted back. He apologized for taking so long as he didn't expect it would be tricky to haul a sack of dog food on the motorcycle. Yakumo just waived it off, happy that he was now here. He placed the sack inside one of the kitchen counters and sat in front of her. Yakumo then detailed her thoughts for the new character.

Noting that the names of the main characters came from their pen names, Knight Hario from Hario Harima and Princess Ten Ten from Ten Ten Tsukamoto (which Tenma had told her about the second she had the opportunity), Yakumo proposed the name should be closer to her actual name. She didn't have a pen name like them but thought that if she was to be given one it would definitely be called "Ya'mo". It was the most ironic name she had ever thought of since she had hated it with a passion back when she was a child.

Harima seemed to like it, though. He complimented her choice since it sounded catchy, cute and easy to remember, eliciting a blush from her. He remarked he knew someone with that name but he let her continue to not intrude her further.

Continuing her character bio, since Harima had said the character would be more versed in magic and spells, she settled for a "Mage" title. The words "Witch" and "Sorceress" have an antagonistic appeal to it. A "Magician" sounds like a person who does sleight of hand tricks and clever illusions. The title "Wizard" denotes a strong character if watching fantasy movies has any indication.

"Mage Ya'mo" would be a spellcaster with Knight Hario in their adventures. As a twist to the story, she's the secret sister of Princess Ten Ten. After her family discovered she could wield arcane arts and not wanting to stain their noble family's name with a heretical relative, the Ruling Families banished her from the Kingdom for witchcraft. She opted to wear baggy robes and a wide hat to hide from being noticed. Her personality also reflected in her imposed banishment, staying shy and quiet, keeping to herself most of the time.

But with the Dark Lord Kurama (a play on Karasuma's name) aggressively hounding and abducting every noble blood to end their lineage, she stumbled upon Knight Hario who was also looking for Princess Ten Ten. With the same agenda, they banded together to achieve their similar goal.

Together, they will try and save the Kingdom from the Dark Lord's grasp and finally uncover the truth of Princess Ten Ten's whereabouts. It would still be in the main storyline so her addition wouldn't ruin any established lore.

After finishing her explanation, Harima nearly hyperventilated from its "sheer awesomeness". He was so ecstatic from her made-up story that she praised her for having a potential to become a manga artist more talented than he could ever be. Yakumo politely thanked him for his over-the-top compliment but the story would still depend on him. She only thought the foundation of the story but has no idea how it would progress. Harima has a knack for prolonging a story despite its repetitive nature. He added new features to keep it from being dull and boring. And Yakumo has no clue how Harima pulled it off.

Hearing Yakumo's feedback, Harima took the folder from the table to continue his work in his room. There were so many ideas cooking up in Harima's mind that he was so eager to work on it. He'll just ask for her help in the inking part.

There was a definite change, Yakumo was certain. Harima's energetic self was back and his mangaal actions reflected this. She then remembered the time when Harima was talking to her sister back when he first stayed here. He had proclaimed a new motivation to work on his manga after their conversation.

Now looking at Harima's energetic demeanor, knowing it was she who was responsible for inspiring him and not her older sister, Yakumo couldn't help but smile and be happy for him.

Harima went to his room screaming "To the fields of glory!" along the way. Yakumo was left alone, still relishing the moment that she managed to inspire him. She wanted to cry again but urged against it.

_I would be strong for the ones I love, s_he thought resolutely, tightly balling a fist.

* * *

**Author's Corner:** Woah. It's been a month already? Sorry for the long pause. Life has been terrible these past few weeks so that's that. I could make a list of reasons for it but I don't want to waste your time. The chapter is also too short even though it's wordy.

I do have an ending for this story so bear with me with all the fill-ins and flashbacks that took the majority of every chapter. I just feel like putting it there. And also the inconsistent updates. So again, sorry for those lapses and I'll be seeing you in the next chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Brace yourselves. Huge landslide of info dump ahead. Most of it is from Yakumo's POV.**

**Chapter 7:**

* * *

The weekend was over.

It was just 2 days but it felt like many things had happened during that short span. They would never forget those fateful days for a long time, especially Yakumo. It was those specific memories that she so cherished, carrying it to her heart even if others had forgotten them. She could always go back to that time when she was so happy.

Since the longest weekend they had so far had ended, it means they were back in that same old routine of going to and fro from school. The school year was just beginning but there were clear changes. In most part, there were now three of them going to school together.

A few weeks back it had been a rather chaotic first day when they were seen walking together. The most famed delinquent was being hemmed in by arguably the holiest student in the form of Sarah Adiemus and the school's "Sleeping Goddess" in the name of Yakumo Tsukamoto.

It was quite a sight. Each one of them carried a vibe that kept people some distance, the two out of reverence while the other was dread.

Mixing this unlikely concoction was bizarre. People do not know if they would be awed at the two girls or be downright afraid of Harima. It was obvious in their flummoxed expressions how in the world it came to this. Gossips and murmurings instantly sprung but no one wanted to approach them this early.

This impenetrable bubble only vanished when they were separated going to their respected rooms. Needless to say, after their relatively quiet entrance, they were bombarded by questions and gossips from all over school.

Yakumo and Sarah were able to explain the situation with tact and calm but it was not the same for Harima. He was much prone to being the bad end of the stick. What would they expect? That a former delinquent was staying with two young women in the same roof? It was begging to be questioned and given Harima's status he was treated with prejudice.

Once, when Yakumo had visited his classroom because somehow they switched their lunches, with Harima having more food than hers, she saw Hanai furiously grabbing Harima's shirt and hoisting him upwards. The raging Aikido expert was shouting assumptions and threats in how in God's green earth was he staying with her, and it was him who paid the price for the delinquent's admittance. He didn't deserve such right and far it was for him to let this injustice continue.

It would had made a ruckus in their room but granted this was always the case when both these two clashed, their classmates simply watched the two trying to make a fool of themselves.

One thing they didn't expect was Harima not playing the same game as Hanai.

Confronting Harima usually needs a ton of courage and gall since he might react with hostility and bodily harm. Instead of retaliating, Harima was plain stoic and carrying a blank expression. He said in a very serious voice he was not doing anything wrong and told Hanai to have faith in Yakumo's judgment if he didn't believe his words. If he did anything disgraceful, he would commit suicide in the most gruesome manner as punishment to appease him. With no sunglasses to hide his eyes anymore, his piercing stare tore through the whole class. His morbid words and his deadly stare finally took effect on Hanai. Hanai put him down and said no more. The section was dumbstruck in how Hanai was put in his place and how Harima handled the situation.

Yakumo was there to witness it all. She wondered if it was the same Harima who was sitting in there. Of course, Harima meant what he said but she wished he didn't add that grisly part since it wouldn't come to that. He would never do anything to sully his honor that much was certain to her. She had waited for the bell to ring (and for Hanai to leave) and approached him when he was leaving the classroom. Only when he was being approached by Sarah or Yakumo then he showed a kind side.

Also, the news about Harima's engagement to Eri was one gossip magnet. Harima was in 3-C but Eri was in 3-A. They were in separate sections so the issue died down fast with people who were in the know explaining how it came to be. Yakumo wasn't sure if she should be happy about it because whenever she crosses with Eri there was this tension she could feel forming between them. Why she was still treating her as an enemy was beyond her. Was it because she slapped her last school year? More than she could admit, Eri did deserved it. But they were this way before that. Is it because of Harima why she treats her like this? She even told the man Eri likes him in order to resolve this dilemma, as much as it pained her. And yet, Eri still harbors resentment towards her.

It was jealousy, then. Eri started to become hostile when she learned Harima had been seeing her for reasons she didn't know. Most of the misunderstandings it was out of Yakumo's reach and she tried the best she could do to solve these problems with the best of intentions. Now another explosive misunderstanding was under way. Yakumo was questioned why she would allow an engaged man to stay with her.

Her answer to it was pretty simple and straightforward. It was Harima who needed her help. It was for the meantime until he found a place to stay. It was the truth and yet the truth hurts her because he was staying for a short while. She didn't want to involve Eri's refusal when Harima went to her. If Eri would find her answer not enough then no words she could say could ever convince her.

In her second year, Yakumo was assigned to class 2-C. It was quite amusing when she first learned she's in the same room as her older sister's section the year before. Fortunately Sarah, Miki, Haruna and Satsuki were also with the same section. Apparently, fate was still not done.

When the sitting arrangements were assigned by casting lots, she had randomly grabbed the number that was the same seat number as her sister's. If that wasn't enough, she was surrounded this time by her closest friends. Sarah was assigned to Harima's former seat; the always energetic Miki was in front of her; the short Satsuki was in the north-east and in the back was the stoic Haruna. It was completely refreshing this school year's sitting arrangement compared from the previous one.

Last year she was placed smack dab in the middle of the room. She could always see the thoughts of her male classmates. Their juvenile attempts to notice them were tiring. Her mind reading ability was always on overdrive that she usually fell asleep in the middle of the class, especially in Miss Sasakura's art class. That time of the week was the most dreadful for her. Their thoughts were particularly larger than usual and she didn't want to think why it was so.

Being able to read the minds of those boys around her, it was taxing her mental state to the point she faints in exhaustion or dizziness. Her unusual ability was always active 24/7 and there was no way of knowing how she could "turn it off". The words would suddenly pop out from their heads without her consent and an insisting headache would take place.

For a time she had experimented it to animals, curious to know if it was only limited to people. After taming a cat that she would name "Iori" she could see their thoughts. To her disappointment though, the words in those animals were only sounds they can normally utter. It was plain undecipherable no matter how she liked to understand them, but the strange thing was she was not getting any headache from it. Animal minds were more "docile" and "simple" than human minds, it seemed.

In the same subject, some animals have a tendency to like her upon first sight despite they barely knew each other. Telepathy was a two-way street and so she assumed if she can read their minds, they could see her mind as well. This wasn't always the case though since some animals like dogs were more aggressive in nature, she became more wary of them. It was random what kind of animal she could read or not. As far as she knows, only cats, giraffes and, surprisingly, whales were the only animals she could read.

Since reading an animal's mind was nearly useless, if not entirely useless, she could block it out at will. But this one was significant. Could she do the same to people as well? She didn't know what the range of her strange power was but it would definitely be handy if she could control it.

It gave her hope that she might have control of this skill and so she tried it by staring long to people.

Much to her huge regret, it only made matters worse by accidentally enhancing it than repressing it. Being stared at by Yakumo, it made them more flustered thus making the words much more revealing. Looking hard at those thoughts, she became aware there was something beneath it.

She could now "see" the emotions of people and not just plain thoughts. Every thinking mind has a feeling heart.

Combining their thoughts and feelings, the form or style of words changed depending on how sincere or malicious their intentions were. It emits an aura around a person according to what they're thinking. Some she could see like simple manga bubbles, suggesting plain adoration while others were jagged lines that somehow became words suggesting evil or malicious intent. Also, the intensity of their infatuation affects the size of words. The bigger the words, the more infatuated the person was. It was easy to know who liked her more.

This type of thought was the worst for her. It was like being rammed by a speeding locomotive if she met someone who has that thought process. She could even see it from a far. This type of mind reading exhausts her a great deal instead of just looking at plain thoughts. While other's thoughts formed whenever they saw her, this one seemed to be always active, like a lighthouse that refused to be unseen. To her chagrin, there was one that always hounded her.

It was the proud class representative of her older sister's class from last year, Haruki Hanai.

He was the most insistent, or perhaps persistent, of all her adoring fans. His bold attempts for recognition eclipsed any confession she'd received from anyone – and that was against numerous crazy fan boys. He'll even go so far as to involve someone just to impress her. One shining example was he volunteered his whole class (without their consent) so that Yakumo and her class would not clean the school pool. He felt that by doing so she would feel indebted or be amazed by his generous manliness.

To Yakumo however, his never ending attempts were like reaching the moon by reaching towards the sun. It only worsen her headache and thus alienated her even further. With his thought like a rampaging beast and his actions a literal beast, she found herself in so many embarrassing and awkward situations.

The thought of finally ending it once and for all had crossed her mind. She had thought to try and talk to him, finally confront the problem directly to stop it. But every time she would try, something was stopping her.

Hanai, for all intents and purposes, was the most sincere and honest person she had ever met. His thoughts and speech patterns always correspond with each other. His thoughts may be wild and intimidating but she could sense he was a good person: smart, strong, and noble to a fault. Some of her classmates wonder why she would avoid this kind of a role model student. They were so hard to come by in this day and age that her classmate Miki had grown a huge crush on him.

If they could read minds, they, too, would understand.

Moreover, the backlash of her actions worried her deeply. The feeling of rejection was one thing Yakumo knew that was very damaging to one's personality. It could pave a new way for him to show this affection to someone else who will love him back. But it could also lead to a downward spiral of self loathing and total loss of confidence. Both end results have big impacts in their lives and she can't bear to be the one who will decide it for them.

In Hanai's case, it was likely he would sink to depression. That could have traumatized the boy beyond recovery. Maybe one of his reasons why he kept so smart and fit was because of her. And who was she to rob him of something that made him a better person?

And so, everyday she puts up with him. Everyday enduring all his antics and proposals, hoping somehow, someday, the man would realize himself she wasn't the right girl for him.

There was a particular mind she had found that was stranger than everyone else but it was the opposite of Hanai's. Instead of overly large thoughts, this one was empty, silent even. She had seen it to a person that was coincidentally the opposite of Hanai in every way.

It was none other than the school's famed delinquent, Kenji Harima. It was the first time she saw a boy who has a blank mind. It was weird and she wanted to know why it was so. She didn't know this person and his notorious background before but this strange anomaly made her curious about him.

Since that fateful day when she became his assistant for his manga, she spent a considerable time with him, finally able to know the person seemed enigmatic to her.

Behind the leather jacket and motorcycle, she had seen a person who would do everything for the people he loved, even sacrificing his own happiness for it. She could sympathize with him and it deepened her respect for him. Despite his status as the school's number one delinquent, he didn't act like one, or rather not around her. Their conversations were more "normal" unlike most boys. He wasn't like them who would nervously stutter whenever talking to her or would boast their achievements in order to impress her. He simply was himself and even how awkward some situations they get themselves into, he would treat her with due respect in contrast to his treatment to his female classmates.

He also showed a love for animals, a thing that she too shared. But the level of it was beyond her. She witnessed Harima befriend Iori, a very mercurial cat, upon their first meeting. Yakumo had a hard time getting along with the black cat but this person had befriended the animal with just one sentence. More surprisingly he has a band of different animals at his disposal. His devotion to each one of them was akin to friends. Be it a lion or a sheep, he deeply cares for them.

This strange connection to a species different with his own made her see Harima was indeed a good person, if not a little misunderstood by his own race. His outward appearance concealed what he really is. The man was a living paradox; a delinquent who writes romantic comedies, brawls with thugs and black belt masters but snuggles with a sheep, a bad boy to everyone but the only boy who could talk casually to her.

She had spent a considerable time with him working in his manga and she had found it enjoyable. The thought wouldn't pass her mind, let alone to be with a man for long hours. She would read the story or sometimes Harima would read it to her just for Harima to get the story flowing in his mind. It greatly reminded her of her childhood and her father.

But whenever she looked at him, a thought persisted in her mind. For the first time since she was able to read minds, she wanted to read a person's mind. But she couldn't. She was comfortable with him because of his unreadable mind but now wanted to look what's behind his mind to know what he thought of her. But if she could read his mind from the very beginning then their friendship wouldn't even happen. It was contradictory and frustrating.

But unknown to her until she pieced the clues together, there was something in his mind but it prevented her from seeing his thoughts.

It was fully occupied by his undying love to her older sister that kept her from reading his mind. It was because of this that she got comfortable to be with him without bearing any headache from mind reading.

And as a sudden twist of fate, she became close to him and started harboring feelings for him. She wasn't aware she was starting to like him and would doubt her feelings but Harima had consistently shown her what she really adores to a person. He gives space, privacy, respect, consideration, gratefulness, encouragement, honesty, casualness, bravery, dedication and some flashes of self-sacrifice and brilliant insights from time to time. He was not the perfect boy who has the brains and the looks but it was this aspect that made him stood out to her. He simply was himself and that's just it.

The only man she had fallen for and it had to be the only boy in the planet who didn't have feelings for her, but instead it was to her sister of all people.

Due to the ghost's recent appearance, things were shaken up. If the ghost's words were true, and there was no reason why she would lie, then there's something why Harima's mind was blocked from her. The ghost said his love for Tenma was the cause of it but hinted there was also something else responsible for it. She didn't know there was a secondary barrier in his mind but perhaps, this was what obscured his mind these past few weeks. She had noticed it before but never really thought it was so.

After Tenma's departure Harima had changed, both his behavior and his mind state, when in school.

Instead of the usual silence of his mind Yakumo could see something resembling static or white noise. It was like watching a blank TV channel with the sounds rumbling continuously. It was the only time Yakumo had seen in a person's mind that was fuzzy images. His face also corresponds with his mind, always having this nonchalant expression on his face.

His depressed behavior supported it but Yakumo was more concerned about him than his strange mind.

During break times he would always go straight to the roof and stare at the sky, longingly waiting for something until the bell rang. Yakumo had followed him at a distance and stared at him being this melancholic. She knew Harima was somehow searching for a plane that would cross the sky one day, carrying Tenma back home. But it was not meant to be. Despite how much of a stretch he was wishing for. he stayed affixed to the sky, his sullen eyes looking way beyond the clouds.

Yakumo wanted badly to offer him a sort of company but he had politely asked her they should not be seen together during breaks. They would always meet up in the house so it wasn't necessary for them to meet up anymore in school. Also, he couldn't afford her to be in so many misunderstandings that they were in right now. She respected his decision and gave him distance, knowing where his question was coming from.

But after all that, she still couldn't help herself to look after him. With her sister gone, it was in her instincts to look out the people who were staying with her. Sarah was no problem as she was always with her and they usually have lunch together but Harima was so distant and obviously damaged that it just begs to be taken notice.

When they were going home, however, Harima's sullen attitude was gone and his old self was back. It was like Harima has two personas for the day. His mind went back to being silent instead of a garbled picture. Yakumo suspected it was just in school that he acted this way. Tenma must have been the only driving force why he went to school at all and without her, he was emotionally crippled just to push himself to go to school.

At home, it was the same old story. Harima would be in his room for most of the time doing his manga while she and Sarah watch TV or do homework until it was time to prepare for dinner. With the new idea for his manga, Harima was more energetic and cheerful but in school it took a completely different turn. It was so unusual seeing him so sullen and then be back to being himself and come tomorrow it would be like that again.

It was only a few weeks since the two stayed in her house and there would be adjustments. She hoped things would change for the better along the way. Harima can't possibly keep grieving forever and the ghost, as persistent as she was, said she can't influence him no matter what she did. Sarah was still the carefree and independent Sarah, although she was stuck in the middle of what's happening right now. It might be for the better to keep her in the dark since she might perform an exorcism that would blow out of proportion.

If anything else, Yakumo was happy and content.

x-x-x

_Three days later..._

The three housemates were about the leave the school premises when a black limousine blocked their way. The impeccable butler Nakamura got out of the driver's seat and opened the passenger's door without saying anything. The trio expected the blonde heiress would come out of the car but instead they heard a familiar voice coming from behind them.

"Hey, Whiskers."

They turned around and saw Eri walking towards them.

"I need you for something else." Eri demanded. It was not a request.

"What is it this time?" Harima indignantly asked.

"Just get inside the car. We'll talk about it on the way there." Eri then glanced at the other two students but dismissed them. Yakumo felt uneasy as the glare Eri given her was sharp as ever.

"Alright, alright, I'm going," Harima then looked to his side. "Imouto-san, would you please read the manuscript in my room? It's in a desk inside a manila envelope. I need to hear your feedback after this. You could also ink it if you find it okay – if it is alright with you, of course."

Yakumo was about to confirm when Eri interrupted her to it.

"Is it your manga again?" Eri asked a slight irritation in her tone. "You know I could help you more if I reviewed it instead." Yakumo felt Eri was doing this to slight her. She unconsciously wrung her hands in worry or anger, wasn't sure which the case is.

"It's not necessary, Rich Girl." Harima replied. "I don't want to be mean but Imouto-san has an eye on these things and I trust her judgment more than others."

Yakumo was amazed after hearing his words. Sarah seemed to be thinking the same thing with the look she was making as both of them stood still. Eri, though, looked pissed and glared at her. If looks could kill, Eri had killed multiple people already, all of them bearing the same name of "Yakumo".

"Tsk. Whatever." Eri grabbed Harima's arm and began leading him to the car. As they're walking towards the car, Harima turned back his gaze to the two girls.

"Don't forget, Imouto-san! I'll be waiting for it!" Harima said, his voice trailing from the distance.

Yakumo nodded, "Of course," though he wouldn't hear it.

Nearing the car door, Eri brushed Harima forcibly to the side as it was customary for the girl to enter first, though Harima was about to give her way in the first place. Narrowing his eyes out of irritation, he then entered the car. The butler closed the door and went back to the driver's seat. The car drove to whatever destination and was gone.

"That ended well." Sarah finally said something.

"I know Eri has been acting this way whenever we see each other." Yakumo said, bowing her face, her downcast eyes fixed to the ground. "I wish this isn't always the case."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked. Yakumo looked at her as if the blonde was the last person on earth to not notice something so obvious. Sarah then continued, "Harima just chose you over Eri. You win this round at least."

This time, it was Yakumo to ask the same question. "What do you mean?"

"Come on now," Sarah replied rather patronizing. "It was clear you're the winner this time. Even if he went with her it was obvious Harima chose you. Haven't you heard his compliment earlier?"

Yakumo's cheeks reddened as she remembered Harima's words. It was the first time she heard Harima compliment her in front of others. She wasn't aware how Harima valued her feedbacks before but now she knew he actually upheld it more than others.

Another added reason why she like the guy so much.

Sarah then teased her, "Well, are you going to just stand there blushing or shall we go home now?"

"O-of course." Yakumo replied and nodded at her. Both girls then walked home together.

After a few seconds. Yakumo slightly turned her gaze to her side and said with a low voice, "And thank you, Sarah." It was about Sarah's habit of looking at the positives rather than the negatives. She really is a God-send.

Sarah returned a smile. "No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

While they're walking, Yakumo couldn't get off the manga from her mind. This will be the first issue where her character would make a debut and it made her giddy in excitement. Curiosity was slowly eating up her thoughts and she wanted to sprint to the house and read the manga first thing first.

But if Harima could wait for her then she could too.

It was not something that will be taken away from her, after all.

* * *

**Author's Corner**: Holy crap. That wall of text, man. I'm sorry about that. It was needed for the story so bear with me.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

* * *

Returning home has never been this exciting. Yakumo smiled all the way as if she was going to an amusement park. She was now included in Harima's manga as a character and no awkward situations could dampen her excitement.

Her meetings with Eri usually gave her a feeling of anxiety and uneasiness. But this moment, she felt a sense of victory even though she didn't treat their encounters as some sort of a duel. It was plain childish and silly but Eri always involuntarily started it. The blonde would leave witty remarks and sarcastic words in order to attack her and didn't even bother to hide it.

Of course, Yakumo won't stoop to her level and would do everything not to escalate it further.

Except for that one time she slapped her. Eri really deserved it if it involved the people she loved.

Harima wasn't with them in their walk back home but his compliment lingered on in her mind. If anything else, she won't mind being mocked or stared at with sharp eyes if he would fight for her. The thought made her blush and smile.

Sarah didn't miss these subtle clues Yakumo was showing left and right. The red eyed girl has her gaze straight to the road instead of slightly bowing down. She usually hides her blush with a bow but now she looked proud of it. It seemed she was starting to accept her feelings more open now. Back then, Yakumo doubted if her feelings were genuine and thus always masked it with vague expressions and answers. Seeing her this upbeat made the nun smirk a little.

She didn't want to involve herself in their stare-down. It's their business, after all. What she could do was to evaluate what happened to it. Eri seemed she was always game to this challenge so it was up to her to give support to her best friend whenever the blonde made her feel down. The two girls were never like this until Harima entered the fray.

It was something alarming that could result to a gritty showdown.

When Yakumo had told her she had slapped Eri, Sarah was surprised that she could do such a thing but never showed a reaction of it. Sarah always saw her as the mature person of the two even if Eri was the upperclass. But for her to do such a thing something really ticked her and then all diplomacy and reasoning flew out the window and she did the unexpected.

Eri was berating Tenma for being weak and pathetic to garner her forgiveness to whatever Tenma did to her. Tenma didn't know why Eri was so mad at her and she did all she could to please her - even staying outside Eri's house all night in the dead of winter. But after all that Eri acted superior and unapologetic. There was not a hint of sorry in her words.

Watching her sister being put down when all fault points to Eri, fury bled out from the younger Tsukamoto and she quickly slapped Eri without any warning whatsoever. She couldn't stand that and she never left an apology – even if she was really sorry to the point she had cried in grief for her action.

Fortunately, Eri didn't fight back and the issue died down. It was mostly about Tenma, and the two classmates reconciled a day later. Yakumo and Eri didn't dwell on the matter anymore and had made an uneasy truce about it. But if that scenario involved Harima, it was a totally different ballgame. The blonde wouldn't simply back down and leave without a fight. Eri would pull all the stops and declare war right then and there. Sarah knew Yakumo was at a disadvantage given her pacifist nature if it came to that, but hopefully it hasn't yet.

Sarah had wished she could tell Harima about this but she was intruding to matters that don't concern her. For all she knew, it would spark a flame that can't be easily controlled. The man in the middle wasn't aware the two was fighting for his heart all this time. If she told him, Harima would not only be aware Yakumo liked him but he'll realize Eri also liked him. The battle of the two would inadvertently start and it was Sarah who blew the whistle. She can't afford that. But what she can do was help tip the scales in Yakumo's favor little by little from behind the scenes. It was imperative of her as her best friend.

She didn't know what distance Eri and Harima's relationship had come to but it was obvious in their conversation earlier it was still the same as always: Eri was brash while Harima was dismissive of her. It was a volatile exchange indeed, with the two being antagonistic at each other.

His company with Yakumo, on the other hand, was more comfortable and relatively beneficial. It lets them out of their shell: Harima behaving more good natured while Yakumo was comfortable around a boy which she usually avoided before. They compliment each other and it brought out the best of them. She can't say the same about Eri, though, and that's one reason why she saw Yakumo has an edge over Eri.

Heck, they acted as a couple already with how they treat one another.

With her plans panning out perfecting, Sarah joined Yakumo's optimism in their walk. It's just a matter of time.

x-x-x

After finishing the day-to-day necessities like changing clothes and doing homework, Yakumo went to Harima's room to read his manga. Sarah had been gracious to refuse when Yakumo offered her if she wanted to read it too. It wasn't her forte, the nun noted, and Harima only asked Yakumo to read it.

Harima would arrive late into the night whenever she's with Eri so she has time. She sat on a chair and began opening the manila envelope.

When she touched the manuscript, she felt goosebumps for some reason. This time, she was in it, not her sister which she usually saw before. It gave her with so many ideas as she wondered this and that. She also handled the papers with great care as if she would get hurt if she managed to tear it.

Realizing she's making a fool of herself, she shrugged these unreasonable thoughts away from her mind. It was surprisingly ridiculous and appalling how excitement affected her well being.

With a clear head, she began reading the manuscript.

_One year later._

_After the defeat of the Dark Lord's army and his powerful Elites, the land had enjoyed an uneasy peace, knowing the Dark Lord himself still lurks in the shadows. But the ravages of his army had left the Kingdom to shambles with no rightful ruler to lead. It was now a mere shadow of its former glory. Its magnificent castles and estates were heaping ruins, now stood as grim monuments of the good times flourished under the old regime._

_The hero of the war was nowhere to be seen and no one even knows who he is. Recently, most nobles that belonged to the Royal Family had been killed or abducted by a mysterious group. No one wanted to assume their inherited legacies and have come into hiding._

_The Dark Lord was still a threat but for reasons unknown he didn't terrorize the land often like before. His underlings were scattered and, without a leader and a goal, they wandered aimlessly. The citizens thought he was too weak to return or he was building an army anew but it made the people complacent._

_This paved way for ambitious people to take on power over what was left. Multiple factions and fiefdoms arose across the land._

_Without an all-encompassing threat, the citizens started fighting one another. With so many who wanted control, the faction leaders fought one another out of indifference of their views. Some say they were the rightful ones for the Throne while others say the time of the Nobles had come to an end. Leaders had begun aggressive and charismatic campaigns to take the support of the people until it managed to split its citizens with one allying and hating the other._

_The land was divided and was once again thrown into turmoil._

_Thus the story begins..._

x-x-x

Yakumo was impressed how Harima had used a time skip to tie the two stories. She was more impressed how he put the setting to a believable one with added politics.

x-x-x

The Hero of the War, the Saviour of the Kingdom, was out of money. Knight Hario had lost everything other than his prized sword and the armor he wore. When he returned home after the war, he had found his simple house burned to a crisp. There was a note saying this was a last ditch revenge for destroying their army. All his battle enchantments and his tomes were also destroyed during the battle and thus he needed to start again.

With all that's happened, he still didn't consider his quest to be over. The princess vanished without a trace after the battle. Despite being the one who saved the land, he didn't want the prestige that comes along with it. His quest was still incomplete and it didn't felt right for him to accept it prematurely.

Being penniless, however, was one thing he didn't expect. So he drifted village to village, finding odd jobs to make a living and finding clues to the princess' whereabouts. What was strange was no one recognized him as a hero. The decisive battle was quickly forgotten by its citizens that some say the hero died during the battle along with the Dark Lord. Some took it further and said it was just a myth.

For him though the hero really died. He was so close to save the princess, only to be snatched away from him at the last second. He was no hero if he cannot save her. There never was a hero in his mind to begin with.

One day as he was walking through a forest, he saw someone familiar. From a distance he saw it was wearing a wide brimmed purple pointed hat that hid its face and holding a curled staff on its lap. It was sitting on a log, not moving like it was asleep. In that moment, he readied himself, pulling his sword out of its scabbard. It was another underling of the Dark Lord. He had fought someone like it before, warlocks and witches that use crafty magic and deceiving illusions.

He had been made like a foolish jester by their foul magic and he didn't want that to happen to him again. One example was the "Rose Witch". It had been a tricky fight since he had to defeat her without using the magical sword that could harm her. Damn that cursed riddle – whatever that was.

With memories so fresh and not wanting to give his opponent the opening move, he dashed quickly to attack his enemy while it was still prone and defenseless.

x-x-x

Yakumo stopped reading. _What was Harima doing? Does he intend to kill me in my first appearance?_ She then returned reading.

x-x-x

Hario began to slash his sword horizontally, intending to cut his unaware enemy to two pieces. Suddenly, his enemy raised its staff and it stopped his sword's momentum dead in its tracks. In close inspection, Hario saw what his enemy looked like. What surprised Hario was his enemy still had its eyes closed as if it was sleeping when it defended itself.

Also, "it" was a "she".

Hario leaped a distance away from her, his expression still wary. It was very strange indeed that she blocked a surprise attack, no less a slash from the famed Knight Hario. And she did it while still having her eyes closed. This enemy was stronger than he anticipated and he assumed a fighting stance.

The noise from his earlier attack had woken the witch and she stood up. She raised a hand to her wide brimmed hat, tipping it up. Hario saw two red eyes staring back at him. Her eyes were sharp but it didn't have the usual malice the witches he had fought before. It was cat-like and striking. He even thought they were quite beautiful.

x-x-x

_Uhm..._ Yakumo blushed. _Did he just say my eyes are beautiful?_

x-x-x

Shrugging this was one of witch's enticing illusions, Hario braced himself and dashed again. He brought his sword to a forward stab but the witch deflected it with her staff. Dumbfounded that his attack was stopped twice in a row, he attacked again in quick succession, hoping that at least one of his attacks would land. But with his attack, the witch simply deflected each and every one of them.

They were in a stalemate, his attacks always being deflected. Hario leaped away as his strategy wasn't being productive. He wondered was why his enemy didn't fight back. There were so many exposed opening like the one after his second attack, but she didn't exploit it to counterattack and instead waited for his next attack to deflect again.

He assumed a stance. Witches were capable to attack from a distance and he prepared himself for it. The ground suddenly shook violently. He thought a spell was about to happen but to his surprise the witch staggered too.

_It wasn't her, then._

The rumbling continued like heavy footsteps and Hario turned to its direction. There was a huge ogre running to them at surprising speed, clutching a huge spiked mace.

_Tsk. Another enemy._

x-x-x

Yakumo looked at the drawing of the ogre. She felt she had seen him before. It was a hulking bald man with sunken eyes and sparse eyebrows. _Was it in school?_

x-x-x

_This may be ogre territory,_ Hario thought. The hulking giants were very privy of their land that a single step usually was rewarded by a swing of a spiked club to the face. It had been a long time since he had fought one.

He readied himself again but to his surprise again, the ogre went to the witch and brought its huge club down. The witch could not deflect this kind of weapon and so leaped away nimbly. The earth cracked from the club's impact, leaving a hole in the ground, raising puffs of dust to the air in the process.

When the dust finally settled, Hario noticed the ogre was looking at him. The enraged ogre then attacked him, swinging its club in reckless abandon. Hario, too, could not guard against such an attack and so he continually dashed out of the way from the ogre's attacks that made the surroundings blurry with all the dust floated in the air.

While dashing out, he bumped into something and he looked at it. It was the witch! Both of them looked at one another with wide eyes.

Before Hario reacted to it, the ogre began bringing down its massive club to the both of them.

Without thinking, Hario pushed her away and he darted to the opposite direction. He used his momentum to a roll and he stopped a few distance away. Taking inventory of his surroundings, Hario felt an insistent pain in his left shoulder. The ogre somehow hit him from its previous attack.

Clutching his wounded shoulder, the knight thought of his situation. What a day he was having now. The nerve of the ogre to hurt the one and only Knight Hario!

He took a deep breath and gripped his sword tightly. He needed to finish this decisively. The witch was still out there and he can't afford to tire himself in this first round. He needed an opening.

Before the dust settled again, the big ogre exploded out of it and began running towards the knight. Surprised at its sudden burst of speed, Hario tried to move and he winced audibly. He was hit harder than he thought and he found himself unable to move in time.

Cringing at the impending club swinging to him, a bright flash suddenly shone from behind him and it blinded the ogre. It staggered back. Its club fell to its side and it clutched its eyes.

With this sudden turn of events, Hario looked at the source of the light, and saw the witch raising its staff to the ogre's direction. This gave him the opening he needed. Still clutching his sword, not heeding of his wound, he strode forward and did his signature move: Hurricane Slash. It was a series of quick horizontal and vertical slashes that ended with a very dramatic forward slash.

After a wide arcing slash that blew several blades of grass in the air, the ogre fell loudly to the ground as puffs of dusts rose. Hario stood still for several seconds, relishing his old move. It had been a long time since he did that.

His constant maneuver of his body had opened his wound beyond his liking. He could feel his blood dripping down his arm and hand. He was starting to grow light headed when he noticed a gentle green glow from his left and he glanced at it. There at his side was the witch, her glowing palms outstretched to his wounded shoulder.

He could have run away but he couldn't even manage to utter words of shock in nausea and blood loss so he stood helplessly. Staring at the witch, there was an expression of concern in her face. No proud smirk or menacing grin like most villains he had fought before. She wasn't bragging anything before she finally took him out of his misery.

After a few seconds, he could feel his pain slowly subsiding like it was being healed. He grew calm, sleepy even, and his fatigue ebbed away. Confusion crossed his features about what he was seeing.

When the green glow vanished after a few minutes, the witch took a step back, looking quite pleased but looking slightly strained for her efforts. The knight flexed his shoulder this and that. It felt it wasn't wounded at all. What was happening?

x-x-x

Yakumo blinked._ That was quite a battle._

x-x-x

After their ordeal, the two finally conversed with one another. The witch's name was "Ya'mo" and she told him she wasn't a witch but a mage. Hario then absently remarked was why she was wearing a witch's attire if she didn't like to be taken as one. He caught himself and apologized for his joke, and apologized even further about his deadly faux pas earlier. It felt right for him to say sorry first before introducing himself.

Still mortified that he might have hurt an innocent person, he explained he didn't have good experiences with witches and he attacked first.

In her part, Ya'mo thought Hario was one of the Dark Lord's henchmen that were sent to kill her. She quickly realized this wasn't the case when she noticed the knight didn't have an awful aura around him like she usually saw in the assassins so she mostly deflected his attacks. Her intuition was proven right when Hario pushed her out of harm's way earlier and he instead was hit.

With grievances aside, the two told their stories. Ya'mo was more secretive so Hario needed to barter his secrets for hers. Upon his mention of Princess Ten Ten, Ya'mo suddenly perked up in interest. As it turned out, they have the same goal. But Hario, wary of her interest to the princess, wanted proof on why she was looking for her. There were rumors circulating that nobles were being killed or abducted. It paid to be cautious in this day and age.

This finally made Ya'mo to tell him of her valued secret. Princess Ten Ten was her sister and she has been searching for her. The recent news of noble culling alarmed her and it caused her to go out of hiding to save her beloved sister. There was a mellow expression in her face and tone that gave Hario the impression she was telling the truth. She wouldn't lie on something so outrageous. He was actually surprised Princess Ten Ten has a sister, wondering why it wasn't well known. The two looked quite familiar at some way when he compared them in his head.

Acquainted with one another, Hario decided they should band together. It was easier to accomplish their goal if they'll work together. The world was a dark and terrible place for a lone adventurer. Besides, they made a very good team with how they work well together back there. Also, if she's a relative of Princess Ten Ten then it was his responsibility to keep her safe. It was imperative for him as a knight of his standings.

Yakumo noted her character needed to blush on this scene. One may never know maybe Harima would get the hint.

They walked together, side by side, to another journey. As they're walking down the dirt road, Hario absently asked her how she blocked his first attack when she was sleeping. Pulling down her purple scarf from her face, Ya'mo gave him a perplexed look as if Hario was inventing up stories.

End of Chapter 1

x-x-x

Yakumo brought the manuscript down. That was really good and it far exceeded her expectations. She once thought her character would simply spring out of nowhere, explain her story, and then join the main character. The tiff of their first meeting was commendable. It occurred to her the two wouldn't suddenly bump in a street and talk with one other. They needed to break the ice (a deadly ice, in fact) to settle their differences. Harima did a better job in creating the foundation than her to be honest. She simply gave him the overall structure of the story and he polished it. They really work well together.

The one good thing she was so grateful of was that the ghost was nowhere in sight in the story. That gave her a big sigh of relief. If she saw her in one panel, she would immediately burn the page and wash her hands with holy water, being scolded by Harima or Sarah be damned.

Maybe Harima didn't include any characters he drew that night for her sake. She didn't see anything he drew that night in the manuscript. He might have thought the sketches he showed to her made her faint and opted not to use it anymore. Or maybe, he simply didn't want to and it was reserved for the next chapters.

Whatever the case, Yakumo was really grateful for now. Harima has so many surprisingly good qualities that she now lost count how many.

Going back to the task at hand, she needed to think of her feedback. There were some questionable points in the chapter. What was Ya'mo doing in a forest alone? Why did the ogre attacked only when Hario appeared? It was very convenient and looked forced. Was it just a coincidence?

Also, the unanswered question at the end of the chapter piqued her interest. How did Ya'mo deflect the attack if she's sleeping? It was quite absurd and it gave her character a shroud of mystery. Her character was unusually very capable in close combat with how she defended herself. She's a spellcaster and they usually were weak in that category.

Of course, those were intended as hanging questions for readers to await the next chapter. She herself was caught in it already.

Cataloging her questions in her mind for now, Yakumo grabbed a brush and started inking the layouts that were good already. She personally enjoyed inking her own character. It was strange and uplifting at the same time. So that's why Harima chose to base the main character on himself. It gave him a chance to see himself in another world. A "what-if" scenario if he lived in a different era. She smiled at the thought that even in that alternate reality, she was with him.

Harima also thought her eyes were beautiful and so she started inking that part first.

* * *

**Author's Corner**: Harima's manga isn't a violent one. A slash to an enemy was like being hit by a blunt object or it was simply toned down to appeal to younger readers. Now that I got it out of the way, a derp moment for me. I really thought 'Harima' was the first name. All this years I was misled by this tiny misconception. I might edit some but not an overhaul. Just his name :b.

Well, reviews are always appreciated and see you in the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

* * *

Yakumo was doing the usual routine of making breakfast. As she had suspected, Harima went home late again. To what they were doing that needed them to stay all hours was beyond her. It wasn't as if she knew the workings of rich people after all. It wasn't her business to interrogate Harima about it, though there was a sliver of curiosity in her mind that wanted to know.

Not her business but the circumstances do raise some questions.

The story she read last night still lingered in her mind. If dreams didn't normally leak out so fast then she was sure she dreamt it.

After a while, she saw Sarah enter the kitchen. "Good morning Sarah." She greeted her politely.

"Mornin'." Sarah greeted back and sat on a chair. The blonde looked at Yakumo and smiled. "You look chipper this morning. Did something happened last night?"

"Not really."

"Come on." Sarah leaned an elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm. "Something made you happy if you're using cold water in a tea."

Yakumo looked straight, genuinely perplexed. _What was she saying?_ She glanced at the cups she was preparing and noticed the tea leaves weren't dissolving as it should be. It just floated innocently above water. The electric teakettle she had used instead of using a plain kettle and stove hadn't been turned on all this time.

_Oh._

"So how's the manga?" Sarah asked. If Yakumo was this sloppy then something was definitely in her mind. "It seems you liked it."

"Of course," Yakumo calmly replied while pouring her cold tea down the drain. "I am in it." She nearly dropped the cups to the sink when she heard crashing sounds from behind her. She turned around and saw Sarah standing up straight, her palms flat to the table.

"You are!" Sarah exclaimed, her sparkling eyes like saucers. Yakumo was quickly reminded of her sister. It was still early morning but it is not an excuse to stop them from being this energetic. "So how did it go?! Are you now like a main character in his story?"

"Yes, it's like that. I think." Yakumo said quite unsure, her eyes darting sideways.

"You're like a romantic interest for the hero, right?"

With that kind of a question, Yakumo couldn't help a blush to form on her cheeks. "Uhm, Harima told to me it was like a sidekick for the hero." Upon hearing it Sarah slumped back in her seat as if she was handed a winning lottery ticket but rewarded 300 yen from it.

"At least that's a step forward." Sarah said and shrugged. "So anything he said about you?"

Yakumo gave her a confused look. Of course, it was Sarah who's in front of her and she instantly knew the character was based on her. "His character noticed my eyes. He thought it was beautiful." Sarah's eyes quickly fluttered open.

"He did?!" Sarah nodded and went silent for a few seconds. Yakumo was reminded again of her sister having this multiple mood swings in one conversation. The nun then looked straight at her. Her face was quite stern and Yakumo was sure she was about to impart something of her mind.

"This is it Yakumo." Sarah seriously said. "He's practically flirting with you now. This is your chance." As if an answer to her wish they then heard footsteps coming. It only told them that Harima was now entering the kitchen. Yakumo suddenly got nervous as she was not ready for this sort of activity this early in the morning.

The former delinquent entered the kitchen groggily. Whenever he came back home from Eri's appointments he looked so haggard and stressed out. His hair was jutting from all directions even with his hairband on. He sat heavily on a chair and greeted the two with a strained smile. "Good morning." He greeted weakly.

"Good morning Harima." Yakumo greeted back. She felt she was being scrutinized by Sarah for every move she make. "How's last night?" It seemed it was the worst question she had asked in her entire life when she saw Sarah frown a little.

Harima sighed. "You know, same old, same old: Eri asking me to say this and that." He leaned on his chair and put his hands on the back of his head. "Seriously though," he said, looking at Sarah's direction. "Speaking english all night was so tedious. I can't imagine how you put up with that kind of language with so many inconsistencies."

"It isn't half bad when you get used to it." Sarah replied in perfect English, seemingly mocking Harima in how easy for her to speak it. "Anyway, Harima," she said, returning to Japanese. "Do you want to hear Yakumo's feedback of your manga?" And just like that, the conversation was directed away from anything related to Eri - and in the process putting an unprepared Yakumo in the hot-seat.

Harima's sullen aura quickly evaporated as he perked up in interest. It was like he shed a new skin upon hearing Sarah's words. "Of course!" He quickly paused. He cleared his throat and spoke again in a controlled manner. "Well, let's talk about it while having breakfast. I don't want to inconvenience Imouto-san this early in the morning."

Yakumo couldn't help but marvel at this. It gave her time to gather her thoughts. Also, it's about him being not forceful when it involved her. Sarah looked surprised as well.

Feeling the conversation to be over, Sarah stood up and insisted she prepare the tea. If Yakumo wasn't friends with her, it looked like it was a mocking gesture from her earlier cold brew. Yakumo went on to prepare their usual breakfast.

While they were eating, Yakumo detailed her review of his manga. There were grunts or nods of approval from the tall boy, all the while Sarah kept quiet and listened intently to their flow of conversation. There were bits of questions of this and that that usually Harima explained how it came to be. She didn't know what mostly they were talking about to be honest. But what really interested her was Yakumo didn't sit in front of him like usual and instead she sat by his side. It was quite strange though when they were talking since they needed to glance to their side whenever someone said something.

However, this gave the nun the idea that Yakumo was now moving closer to him in a more personal space. They were close, true, but only in terms of being friends. But being able to be comfortable around the presence of a person physically was something else. It was a precursor of a forming relationship for what person would not want their beloved to be at their side literally. They must develop this connection first if they were to be together.

Then again, she might be overly thinking it, with Yakumo not knowing what she was doing or Harima taking it as a friendly gesture. Whatever the case, it was needed. Sarah mentally commended Yakumo on her move. And it was the same Yakumo who was using cold water in a tea earlier.

After they finished breakfast, their chairs were now facing one another. Harima had laughed about something Yakumo said about her character looking like a cat. He pointed out he didn't mean to insult her. He thought that in manga people who had cat-like eyes were beautiful. At that moment time froze for Yakumo, while Harima was still spouting about eyes and its impact on a character. It was the second compliment she had heard and it wasn't a full 24 hour period. What brought her back to reality was Harima telling her he needed to prepare for school as he was still looking quite wasted.

Harima left the kitchen but not before thanking Yakumo for the great breakfast (third compliment) and Sarah for volunteering in washing the dishes. Harima's compliments were quickly occupying Yakumo's mind and so she set out to help Sarah in her chore before her mind short circuited again.

"Good job, Yakumo." Sarah said, congratulating her best friend while washing the dishes. "It exceeded my expectations."

"Thank you?" Yakumo said with uncertainty. She herself didn't know what exactly she did right. Sarah could have laughed at how her best friend seemed to be this naive at what she's doing.

Thinking she was indeed correct that Yakumo wasn't aware she was moving closer to him, Sarah said again what's the obvious. "You made him compliment you personally. What he usually said comes from his heart, if not from his mind."

Yakumo was slightly surprised how Sarah had technically insulted Harima for being dumb. Though, the significance of it dawned on her.

Harima usually said something that wasn't that thought out thoroughly. Just like her sister, he would speak first what in his heart before he had a time to process it in his mind. Maybe that's why there were moments of brilliance Harima had showed before like the time Yakumo had asked him about the meaning of going steady. She didn't felt any pretence or nervousness in his tone. He said it out fluidly, not revising any words or confusing himself of its meaning. He was so sure of it until he reached the end when he thought of his words and then retracted it.

It was better for him to trust his heart first than let his mind give him a chance to doubt himself. He was like Tenma who

This characteristic of his may also reflect in his manga. He did it from the heart and maybe that's one reason why he was so successful at it. Knowing he wasn't that smart to begin, he excelled at the things he put his heart into.

She on the other has the brains, talents and capability, and thus excelled at everything she did. Academics, physical fitness, extra-curricular activities, household chores, sculpting, acting, cooking, sewing, drawing, inking, handicrafts, hanetsuki, Othello, shogi, playing cards, and the list went on.

Except skiing and skating.

No matter how hard she tried, her body seemed to reject those activities. She usually has a good sense of balance but it was all forgotten whenever she got on those contraptions. Whenever she's on a ski and started going down, it felt like she was travelling 100 miles per hour that she can't trust her trembling knees to help her. Skating too was a practice of handling anxiety. She wondered how people could move around on a very slippery surface with two thin blades of metal underneath their feet. She might fall off and crack her head or something.

To top it all off, the snow seemed to not agree with her. She always got sick come winter time and so she always stayed at home. Maybe changing the routine could break the cycle.

She also needed someone who'll literally lend a hand to her, much like a toddler learning how to walk.

Maybe Harima could teach her? She didn't know if Harima knows how to but if not, maybe they could learn it together. She was not feeling well on the previous winter break so maybe she could ask Harima out this year's winter season. People had their own special occasions to attend to so maybe Hanai would not be crashing himself into it this time.

If she's going to invite Harima to an outing, maybe this summer break could be a good opportunity. She didn't have any problems in swimming but her sister this time don't know how to. Tenma didn't know how to swim because she was afraid of the water in fear she might drown or some predatory fish would eat her whole. The only thing Yakumo was bothered at was people.

Last summer she declined when Tenma asked her to go to the beach with her friends. She knew Hanai was going and the sight of her in a swimsuit would only make the boy drool over her. Harima wasn't like any boy she had encountered so maybe it's okay. It didn't matter if it's in a beach or a simple picnic but she want an outing that wasn't full of awkwardness and weirdness this time. Last time she went out, they needed a whale to save them from certain death. It couldn't hurt if they could enjoy the moment without any accidents happening.

In the middle of her thoughts, Yakumo felt a tapping on her shoulder, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Thanks for helping me out." Sarah said with a grin. "That single dish you washed was surely spotless." Yakumo looked down at the now empty sink and found out she was still clutching the very same dish she grabbed the first time.

Sarah left a blushing Yakumo alone in the kitchen, giggling as she did so. Something was definitely on Yakumo's mind if she was being this absent minded multiples times a day.

x-x-x

Saturday was meant to be a day of recreation but for the three, they were out doing some necessary jobs. Yakumo and Sarah had their respective part time jobs while Harima would hand his manuscript to the publisher. He wouldn't take long in his job and it meant he would be alone again in the house.

After doing the everyday necessities like basic cleaning, he found himself having too much time in his hands.

It was late noon and he was now out of chores to do. It was a relief he didn't have to clean the storage room since Yakumo had reminded him it was only cleaned quarterly. The backyard wasn't a mess this time with Shiba acting more like a statue and a decoration rather than a guard dog. The dog was quite big and maybe that was enough to scare petty thieves away. If a thief had the gall or even thought of robbing them Iori was more than willing to scare them out.

And so Harima treated this day as a sort of vacation. He hasn't recovered from last Thursday. Eri had to go home but he had to stay for whatever reason. She had told him it would make him look busy and interested if he stuck around. He didn't know who she was fooling with since it didn't made him busy and interested by looking at paintings too abstracted to get any ideas from it. And seriously, those displayed paintings cost more than a house? Rich people would have to be incredibly stupid to fall to buy some squiggles that some famous artist had accidently poured into some canvass. He was an artist himself and it was a cringing realization and outright disappointment how so many vague paintings like these were taken notice by rich folks (bidding thousands of dollars for it) where other more talented and yet obscured artists had their masterpieces plagiarized in the internet.

It isn't exhausting physically but it demanded all his mental faculties to take up appearance. He would gladly move heavy furniture instead of acting too uptight in front of people for appearance sake.

It was more of a culture shock to him upon his first meetings. Even though they were in Japan he needed to adopt Western style etiquettes and avoid traditional manners. He was called by his first name "Kenji" instead of his surname, which others had grown so accustomed to. The honorifics were omitted, though he didn't usually used it in the first place.

He needed to build an image he can adapt to whatever situation he was in and still stay "classy", having an air of absolute superiority as if he was born to this, though sometimes it was a practice of futility and vainness.

On some occasions, all day he would be handshaking people with different nationalities and greeting them "Nice to meet you" or other greetings in a barely recognizable English. They didn't mind though since they too couldn't pronounce it right. With Eri's tutelage in the subject, his vocabulary greatly expanded. It was just tiring for him to use the language all day long and hearing different accents that he started to wonder if they were still using the same language. English, it seemed, was not hard enough language that people needed to slur their words or fake an accent to make it sound unbearable.

The meetings were always more on outside appearance than anything else and sometimes he wanted badly to leave and get back to his life. Still, he was a man of his word. He had promised to help Eri to pay his debt for opening his eyes when he was sliding back to being a delinquent.

It was always so hard to pay back an act of kindness than simply paying them money.

Lately though, what made it more bearable (and Harima himself would not admit this to anyone) was Eri herself. In the course of their meetings, Eri had shown different sides of her personality. The rich blonde seemed to have a pile of personas to wear depending on the situation. At school, she acted as a typical high school girl. At home, she behaved like a lonesome person aching for company. At meetings, she was focused and stern, always having this unperturbed look. Alone with her though was what surprised Harima the most.

There were times when after leaving from such engagements Eri would lean her head against his shoulder and would sleep. There are no reasons to act like they were engaged anymore when they're going home and this made Harima freak out a little. He initially chalked it up to fatigue but when she continued this gesture from time to time, alarms in his head was starting to blare endlessly. He was now wondering if it was still the same Eri who had domineering him all day beside him.

Eri, for all her declared speeches that she was so repulsed of him, wasn't afraid nor ashamed to be with him in front of so many affluent people of standings. Harima wasn't born to a rich family or any prominent figure and so he had a fair share of scrutinizing eyes glaring all around him. He could hear whispers and gossips that all boils down to his unworthiness and lack of achievement. They wondered how a man like him gets the attention of a rich and beautiful heiress. He did not need to hear the specific words from their mouths since their eyes had told it to him multiples times now. But Eri was unmoved by it.

Standing by his side with steadfast and pride, Harima's uneasiness was lightened by her mere presence. She would hold her own whenever she was indirectly insulted by some girl who had too much makeup in her face. Eri knew what she had gotten herself into and far it was for her to regret it. This steely resolve was enough to frighten any would-be mockers in her face.

At the other end of the spectrum, Harima didn't find himself gifted in the looks department but some of the ladies he met, young and old ones alike, were rather flirty. Their predatory eyes were unnerving and their racy compliments were borderline creepy. Was that how rich people flirt with one another? Showing suggestive gestures and bragging how rich they were? Eri though, whenever she gets wind of it, would get mad and looked mightily pissed, be it to the women or at him. She will cling to his arm tightly and lead him away from those sly foxes.

Of course, they needed to show appearance they were engaged but Eri continued to behave even without the eyes of people. Their ride back was the only reprieve Harima has that it was over but Eri still continued to play her part. For a reason he couldn't fathom, he didn't disturb or nudge her away. Looking at her this peaceful, the second that he thought she was not a totally selfish, shallow, crazy, spoiled, manipulative, insensitive, egocentric girl was starting to lengthen in record time. There was something of this gentle side of Eri that made him overlook the outrageousness of her mood swings.

Those times in the limousine felt like he was back on that galactic train, back when Tenma asked him for help on what gift she should buy. He imagined Tenma was the one at his side once again, leaning and sleeping soundly on his shoulder. She felt secured at his side and him, in return, felt comfort in her presence. It was a like a dream that he wished would never end.

Until Nakamura opened a window and poke his head through, Eri would instantly wake up and would strongly deny there's something had happened between them back there, making Harima's only positive thought of her to be abruptly cut off.

Sometimes, he wished Eri was like Yakumo who had complete control of her actions.

Wondering when he'd started comparing the two, Harima went to sit on the house's veranda. The spot had an excellent view of the outside scenery. They weren't living in the city outskirts but the simple view of sparse trees and shrubs gave him a feeling he was far away from civilization. Another added bonus was it was spring. The lingering scent of blooming flowers wafted through the air. The cool breeze of the day that occasionally blew a wind chime, sending it ringing with a hypnotic tune, sent calm to his nerves.

For as long as he remembered, he had never been this comfortable in such a place. For all the places he had lived in, this was by far the most soothing and relaxing. There was the other house he found but more in the scale of luxury and it was Eri's home, though his stay in it didn't have the same feel he was having now. True, he did enjoyed his time when she helped Eri to collect the class pictures taken during the school trip, but now that he went there multiple times made him think twice.

Eri's mansion struck him as kinda hollow. Despite of the numerous expensive decorations hanging from every nook and cranny, he felt so alone and out-of-place in the middle of it. Its vast halls and intertwining chambers were overwhelming a simple person like him. Why would they need such space anyway? Also, he barely saw anyone, save from the mansion's army of butlers and maids. There are no close relatives of Eri, even her mother or father, currently staying in there. There were so many rooms and yet it was occupied by a person keeping the house pristine and nothing else. For all he knew, those people were just there to clean and maintain a house that no one lived. So huge a mansion; so few people living in it.

The house he was currently staying in was more of his taste: traditional but never compromising practicality; simple and yet elegant in its own way. It might be bigger than the average Japanese house and that storage room might be a little creepy but he liked it all the more since it wasn't opulent and extravagant and has its designs in Japanese architecture. It makes a house feels more like a home if it was close to one's heritage. He thought that this would be the type of house he would get for himself in the future. It hadn't even occurred to him what kind of house he would like to have until he was living in it. No wonder he had slept soundly and instantly in Yakumo's room which could have been the room most associated to the house's style.

A thought of self-mockery then passed through his mind, a small depreciating smile accompanying it. Well, if he could afford it at least. He couldn't even afford rent for an apartment much less purchase a house this big, so he might be wishing for the impossible. He also forcibly shrugged the thought of sleeping in Yakumo's room again. It was those accidents that got him thrown out in the first place and he can't afford for that to happen again. Until that time, better enjoy it while it lasted.

Harima laid down on the wooden floor and closed his eyes. He didn't get much sleep yesterday too. Revising some dialogues, inking new layouts and staying the whole night praying the editor would like it. Without Karasuma as their star artist it befell on him the target of the chief. It's not like he didn't want it but the expectation and attention given to him was daunting and quite terrifying.

Good thing Yakumo was his assistant. The manga guy in Dankosha said he liked the first issue of his manga continuation when he first reviewed it. He liked the new character that was based on Yakumo saying the chief always have a soft spot on her. Harima couldn't possibly imagine Mr. Gotou has a fetish for high school girls but Yakumo was the only person who had the courage to look at the chief eye-to-eye without quaking in fear. The hulky editor showed an endearing respect for her bravery and, as an extension, to her whole well being. Maybe one reason his manga was still being published was because of her.

And safe to say, it was.

His manga had improved by leaps and bounds from her feedback. Her inking skill also now surpasses even his that he made her do the inking exclusively. He wouldn't let someone ink his manga other than her. And yes, even Tenma herself, after that disastrous night when she tried inking the whole page instead of staying within the lines.

Without her, he could only grimly imagine where he was right now, literally or otherwise. If it wasn't for her he would be in a decrepit apartment slowly starving to death with an overdue rent hanging over him like a vulture. His manga would be nowhere near as decent without her help.

If he didn't visit the cafe on that fateful day, Yakumo would never find out about his manga - and he would never see Mangoku walking on the street. Giving her the autograph of Mangoku was nothing. Well, it was something but that's all he had at the moment.

It was always so hard to pay back an act of kindness if you don't have money that you're resorting giving them a rare autograph of your idol.

His contribution wasn't that big and doing the chores can't get him the feeling he was repaying her enough. Maybe he should treat her someday. Sarah, too, if she wanted, which he suspected would never refuse.

Harima woke up after a few hours sleeping. The sun was still fairly high in the sky meaning his two other housemates would not be arriving home for an hour or two. He sat on the veranda, stretching his arms. Despite how comfortable the spot was, it was always a terrible idea to sleep on a hard floor. His head then perked up towards the front gate. There was someone standing there again. He went up to the gate and began to greet his guest.

"Oh, it's you again. Please come in."

The young girl nodded, her long hair covering the sides of her face, and proceeded to enter the house.

* * *

**Author's Corner:** I will be gone for a while. Two weeks or a month at most, but I guarantee I will come back to this story. Something's up so I apologize for any inconvenience. I don't want to disappear all of a sudden without informing like last time.

So until then, my dear readers, I'll see you soon.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

* * *

"Please, come in." Harima politely offered. The young girl nodded and went inside.

Harima noticed the girl was wearing the same dress she wore the last time he saw her. The sleeves were past her hands but instead of overly large in proportion to the longish sleeves the entire dress fits her. He hasn't seen any girl dress like that before. She was wearing white sandals with red strips to match her outfit. Her footsteps were strangely bereft of sound as if she was wearing feathered footwear. Harima then felt a cold draft when she passed him by but shrugged it off to the weather and followed her.

Before they come close to the house, the girl stopped in her walk which Harima nearly bumped into. In front of her was Shiba who was looking at her with an expression Harima had never seen before in the gentle big dog. The sheep dog looked hostile with his fangs barring in his furry mouth and his posture in a defensive stance.

To avert any trouble, Harima quickly took a step between them and made a staring contest with the animal. Before long, Shiba scuttled away with a whine and went inside the house.

"Sorry about that." Harima apologized to the young girl. "Shiba isn't usually like that. We don't get any visitors around here so he might have mistaken you as an intruder."

The young girl has her eyebrows slightly knotted in confusion at the staredown earlier. "It's no problem." She said softly, returning to her blank expression.

"Let's just go to the veranda instead if he's inside the house." Harima said. "There's also a cat that is really grumpy at times so if you don't mind about that." The girl humorlessly chuckled and the two sat on the veranda. Harima offered her snacks if she wanted any but the girl refused saying she wasn't hungry. He simply shrugged since he didn't want to leave the girl all alone and also trouble himself with the task.

"You know, you quickly left back then that you made me worried." Harima said casually. "Say, I think you said you wanted to check on something. May I ask what it is?"

"...I simply wanted company." The girl replied in her casual nonchalance.

"I noticed that this neighborhood doesn't have many people around and you're the first person I've seen around here." Harima remarked. "Don't you have any friends in school?"

The girl gave him a questioning look but it vanished a split second later. "They don't share my temperament," she answered. "And most of them I cannot relate to."

Harima amused a grin. "Well, welcome to the club. I think I could sympathize with you on that one." He then asked, "Where are your parents? You didn't answer me last time. Do they know you're here?"

"They're gone." The girl answered quickly.

Harima made a confused look, "Like in a business travel or vacation or something?"

"They're not here anymore."

"What? Do you mean they're... " Harima's voice trailed off as realization hit him like a bullet train. He looked away from her, feeling sorry for being so slow to pick up what she's saying. He can't blame her if she wanted company if something in her young age was deprived of it.

"I'm very sorry." Harima quickly apologized. "I didn't know so I'm-"

"Don't worry about," the girl replied. "It is what it is." Harima was visibly shocked how she put aside such incident. She then glanced at him and continued, "They say sharing your experience to others may double your happiness or may halve your sorrow; do you believe in it?"

Harima composed himself and answered. "I'm not really into quotes or sayings but if it's anything that will save a person from misery, then I'm up for it."

"Memories are a strange thing. Does remembering them day by day makes it any easier to live by?"

Harima looked up to the blue sky, leaning both his palms onto the wooden floor. "Memories are nice but that's all they are. Sometimes they're dragging me down and the worse part they seem to pop out of nowhere." He narrowed his eyes and continued, "But those things are in the past and I cannot change it, no matter how badly I want to change it. I simply hope for the future instead of worrying the past. I think that's much better alternative to think about, right?"

When Harima glanced to his side he noticed the girl was staring at him. At this he chucked faintly, "Well, who am I to tell you such things? I can't even find my bike keys when I'm sure I placed it somewhere seconds ago."

"I see."

"So your parents... What happened to them?" Harima didn't want to talk about this subject any more than talking politics but her question about memories and whatnot raised the subject in his mind. He had heard from his cousin that to ruminate on an incident or accident usually took away its power to cripple oneself, allowing one to heal and recover from trauma. Harima wasn't really paying her attention when she said it to him since he didn't want to talk about it, more so to his intruding cousin. But her words resurfaced when the girl said something similar. The young girl was strangely so casual about shrugging an experience. If that quote of hers works then it's worth a try.

"My mom passed away during childbirth and my father in a car accident." The girl answered. "I barely knew my mother but I have many memories with my father."

"It's unfortunate you didn't have the chance to be with your mom but at least you spent a time with your dad. Do you know anything about him?"

"He was a novelist. He spends most of his time writing books of different themes, especially children's books. He's busy but he always had time for me. Even after he's gone we still gain royalty from his books so it helps us to live day by day."

"He's still helping you even after all that, huh? Wait, we? Do you have relatives living with you?"

"I have an older sister and we are cared by some of our relatives."

"It must be hard on you but at least you have an older sister to depend on, right?"

"You have no idea." The girl murmured.

"What?"

"What about you?" The girl suddenly asked. "What about your parents?"

Harima amused a smile. "Tit for tat, huh? Well, since you've opened up I think I'll share something of mine. My father is gone too. Accident on the road. We're quite similar on that part. My mom married again and she gave birth to my little brother, but I'm not in good terms with my stepfather and so I left. They didn't even look for me when I ran away."

"You didn't live here originally and so you ended up here?"

"It's a long story." Harima said quite embarrassed. "Long story short, my cousin kicked me out from her apartment because of some shallow reason. I was considering going to Mikoto, a classmate of mine, after that Rich Girl - I mean, Eri, also a classmate of mine, refused. She has a huge mansion and we can live at both ends and not see each other at all but she got this angry all of a sudden. I'm not a person who'll abuse someone's hospitality. I don't know why I even bothered going there in the first place. Luckily, Yakumo had welcomed me into her house after her older sister left for America."

"Yakumo?"

"Oh, you didn't know her? I'll take it you're also new here if you don't know her yet. She's the owner of the house. I'm good friends with her. We also have Sarah who's her best friend staying here. I can say she's a very good friend. "

"I see." The young girl tilted her head and asked. "Do you like her?"

"Of course I like her." Harima replied instantly. "We won't be friends if I don't like her, do we?"

"Then do you love her?" Harima was really surprised by her question.

"What?! It's not like that!" _Why do people and now this girl always presume it like that?_

"I was simply curious." Harima calmed from his inner tantrums, given it was a young girl who said it.

"Now that I think about it," he said putting a hand on his chin. "You two look quite similar. Even your names sounded the same. She even named her character "Ya'mo" in my manga. Quite a coincidence, right?"

"Yes, coincidence." the girl said in a nonchalant manner. "So I take that you're a manga artist if you have a manga?"

"Well, yeah, sort of." Harima replied sheepishly. "That too is a long story how I ended up with that job." He narrowed his eyes upon remembering something in particular. He brushed the thoughts away, not wanting to dwell on it a second longer and said, "Storytelling isn't really my strengths so I have Yakumo as my assistant. She helped me numerous times now and I owe her for everything she has done for me, including my stay here."

"Is that the reason why you like her?"

"Back on that, are we?" Harima replied quite amused. "I guess so but it's also a 'no' in some way."

"So you dislike her then?"

"No, of course not!" Harima quickly answered. "I don't like – I mean, I like her but I don't - God, this is confusing!"

The girl chuckled. "Have you loved someone else before?" she asked. Harima again was taken aback by her question.

"To tell you the truth, yes." Harima said with a heavy heart while lying down on the wooden floor. "I've been in love before as do all people – even how badly they deny it. It just sometimes comes to you unexpectedly despite you don't ask for it." After a few seconds, a sudden realization crossed his mind. He then realized why he's talking about himself so openly, more so to a complete stranger. He didn't know where this girl had come from and he forgot to ask her where specifically. The questions she asked were also strange, something not a kid would normally ask.

Why did he welcome this stranger to the house he didn't own?

_Who is this girl? And why the flunk am I answering her questions?!_

The girl stood up. "I think this is enough for now. Can you not tell anyone about my visits here, including those who live with you?"

"Uhh sure. May I ask why?" Harima waited for a reply but when several seconds passed by and he haven't heard her say anything he slowly sat up and saw no one at his side. He looked at the gate and saw a sliver of a silhouette at its edge. At this, he scrambled to his feet and went to the gate, but nearly bumped into someone.

A girl yelped in surprise. "What the! Oh Harima, good afternoon."

Harima noticed the girl to be Sarah. "Oh, I'm sorry Sarah." he quickly apologized. Thinking she might have seen the young girl leaving, he then asked, "Say, have you seen -" He stopped short when remembered the young girl asked him not to tell other people of her visit. For whatever reason he didn't know but he was a man of his word, even if said hastily.

"Uhm, did you say something?" Sarah asked.

"No, it's nothing." Harima quickly replied. "So how's work?"

Sarah made a confused look but answered nonetheless. "It's okay. Mr. Chen had left us again for some false emergency. Asou is now starting to get suspicious of it, wondering if it is really an emergency he's attending to." She continued her rant but Harima stood still thinking something in particular.

_Chinese Restaurant. Maybe I should treat Yakumo there?_ Harima thought, ignoring Sarah's words passing through his ears._ The food there is quite good when Itoko blackmailed me to spill the beans about Tenma. Is it okay for Yakumo, I wonder? What about Sarah? She's working there so maybe I can get a discount or something._

"Harima? Hello?" Harima woke up from his thoughts. "Are you okay?" Sarah asked.

"Of course. Sorry about that. You're saying?"

Sarah frowned a little bit and replied, "I was just telling you if you'll greet me to the house like a good gentleman." Harima grimaced.

_Oh spare me. Not this again._

Harima extended a hand to the house and bowed in the most forceful way. "I apologize for my impertinence," he said in the most sarcastic way he knew of. "Welcome home, Ms. Adiemus."

Sarah smiled and walked inside the house, feeling rightly entitled of her "grand" welcome. Harima continued his mock gesture until Sarah was now inside. He quickly wondered how Nakamura could stomach this kind of job, especially it was Eri he's serving. He would likely say "go to hell" if someone of her caliber demanded him of it, and it was very likely he would have said it to Eri herself if it weren't for this engagement thing he was tangled into. His two housemates he could bear since he owed them a lot. Sarah was a nun and those people should be respected for their position, even how annoying she seemed to demand it. On the other hand, he couldn't imagine Yakumo would do the same thing, though he felt that of all people he knew it was her who deserved to be respected in all manner and ways.

He went back inside the house, resolute to think of a good way to repay his trusted assistant somehow.

x-x-x

Yakumo went back home after several minutes after Sarah's arrival. She again looked weary and exhausted from her work and Harima again volunteered to cook. He didn't do anything in particular the whole day like last week so it's okay if she took a break. Yakumo this time gratefully thanked him and Harima expected the usual tease from Sarah. But when the nun had said nothing of the sort, he started going to the kitchen somewhat pleased to be spared this time.

The two girls sat in the living room watching TV. Yakumo noticed Sarah was strangely quiet. Her best friend would have been thinking of a tease for her or Harima but she seemed pre-occupied. At times Sarah would quickly glance to the kitchen to check up on something and then she would get back to whatever she was doing. There was curiosity or even suspicion in her movements that made Yakumo worried about her.

_Did something happen earlier?_

"Sarah, are you okay?" Yakumo asked when Sarah finally settled herself in the small table.

The blonde put down the book she was reading and answered, "Uhh, yeah. Why did you ask?"

"Uhm, nothing. It's just that you looked –"

A pink blur suddenly whooshed passed the room, squealing loudly in panic. The two girls quickly looked at the pink blur that was Napoleon running around the room, running erratically in circles.

"Napoleon!" Harima stormed from the kitchen. "I'm just cooking pork miso! I'm not gonna use you as an ingredient, you silly pig! I was kidding back then!" He chased after the terrified piglet that was running for dear life.

After several seconds of chasing, the pig was finally pacified. Maybe it was due to exhaustion or Yakumo put Napoleon on her lap, reassuring him they won't harm him at all. Sarah held to Iori, continually stroking his chin to prevent the cat from doing something equally chaotic. Unlike the last incident when the pig panicked, nothing was broken. This made Harima sigh in relief. He was already in debt, and ruining the place due to his pets might earn him another ticket to kiss-your-ass-goodbye. He got himself banned from attending the Suou family stew party for an indefinite amount of time for bringing in an unruly pet.

Good thing Shiba didn't get himself involved in the chase. The dog simply slept all throughout as if nothing is happening. He really was a decorative statue.

"You're cooking pork miso, Harima?" Yakumo asked. Napoleon flinched a little bit but she stroked his back to calm him again.

"Well, yeah." Harima replied, embarrassed about his pet's misbehavior. "I'm sorry about Napoleon. I thought he got over his fear when he ran amok in Mikoto's stew party. I was only joking, honestly."

"No, it's okay." Yakumo calmly said. "We usually have this kind of trouble between Tenma and Iori before so it's alright."

"If you say so." Harima replied, scratching the back of his head. He turned around and continued, "Be back in a second and sorry about that." He went back to the kitchen to continue his housewife duties.

With peace restored, Yakumo contemplated to talk to Sarah again but decided not to ask her for now. She didn't want to think the ghost had appeared to Sarah too. If so, then maybe this was the right time to do something about it, though she didn't know how to handle such supernatural problems with other people. Maybe it was one of the reasons why she didn't ask Harima about it.

No one believed her when she finally told her classmates she could read people's minds. She was afraid that people would treat her as some weird case if they knew her secret. To her surprise however, her friends merely laughed at her for being so embarrassed to joke something so bad and ridiculous. They didn't believe her and shrugged it she was trying to make a joke. The only one who deduced she has some psychic powers was Harima, and it wasn't even an intelligent guess to begin with given it was plain obvious what his manga tells of his feelings.

Yakumo got a feeling that maybe she was just jumping at shadows. If Sarah continued to behave this way then she would ask like a caring friend, not like a paranormal investigator.

Weird. She briefly saw herself as a red-eyed ghost detective, prowling for any supernatural events just for the sake of it.

She realized manga were now starting to affect her imagination. It wasn't a bad premise, was it? Maybe she could share this idea to Harima if they'll create a new story for his manga. It won't hurt to try.

x-x-x

The three housemates ate their dinner while watching Harima's favorite show. Yakumo again was impressed about Harima's cooking. Tenma really liked the pork miso they made during the Suou family stew party so maybe Harima practiced to cook this dish to perfection to impress her. Too bad Tenma wasn't here to taste it – and also about her missing the show.

She could never forget to look after her sister no matter how long time had passed. And it wasn't that of a loss since it managed to impress _her_ instead.

One thing she was bothered still was Sarah. The blonde simply thanked Harima for his efforts and then silently joined him watching TV. There are no jokes or any small talks initiated by her. Harima seemed to be grateful at her rare silence but Yakumo suspected something was troubling her if she's this quiet.

After their dinner Yakumo volunteered to wash the dishes. Sarah quickly volunteered too, which surprised her. Harima thanked them both as he went to have a time with his prodigal pig.

The two girls washed the dishes in silence. Yakumo thought that this was her chance to ask what was worrying her. "I really wanted to ask—"

"Yakumo, do you notice something strange about Harima lately?" Sarah cut in.

Yakumo reeled in surprise. "Not that I know of," she replied. "Is he sick?"

"No. It's not that. What I'm saying is sometimes he's... acting... weird, like, disturbingly weird." There was uneasiness about her tone that Yakumo knew all too well. It made her uncomfortable if Sarah was being this indecisive in her words.

"I don't really follow. What do you mean?"

"I don't want to jump into conclusions but when I saw it again, I started to worry."

"Is that why you're acting strange too?"

"Oh, so you noticed? Well, yeah. I saw it last week and this afternoon. It's about Harima, though. It's like he's not himself at times."

"Just like when he's in school?"

"No, it's way different this time. I wanted to tell it to you earlier but you may not believe me."

"What is it, Sarah?" Yakumo put a little stress in her tone, not liking to be hung in suspense this long especially if it involved Harima.

"It may sound crazy and weird but," Sarah quickly glanced over her shoulders to make sure Harima wasn't around and said in a low voice, "I think he's talking to himself."

* * *

**Author's Corner:** Whoop! I'm back! It's been too long I think. There were a crap load of things that delayed me coming back to this story. The updates might still be a little shaky (okay, a lot shaky) but it's better than nothing, I guess.

Returning back to the story. Funny about Yakumo's thoughts of being a paranormal investigator. There is a character named "Yakumo" in a different anime who has red eyes and is psychic too. He's male though but pretty good looking. I didn't know about that until I searched 'Yakumo detective' in Google. Surprise, surprise!

As always, reviews are very much appreciated.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Yakumo's heart pounded heavily. _What is this?_ _Is he talking with her?_ _What is she planning?_ She recovered her wits to not repeat her fainting spectacle from last week. "Are you sure?" she asked, wanting to clarify more.

Sarah nodded. "Last week I saw him talking at the gate but there's nobody there. I didn't think too much about it, but this afternoon I saw him talking to no one again. I went home earlier than expected because Asou had closed the restaurant early quickly when Mr. Chen left us again. I was about to enter the gate when I saw him having a conversation with no one in particular. I didn't hear what he was saying since I was hiding behind the gate."

There were many questions bustling in Yakumo's mind. _Was he talking to her? And why was Sarah not able to see her?_ _Is it time to tell her about these things?_

"Have you seen Harima talking to himself before?" Sarah asked.

Yakumo contemplated deeply about her decision. Her friend was a nun and a single hint that this was all supernatural could invite complicated matters like she had predicted. Maybe there's a logical reason behind all of this instead of speculating the worst.

"Uhm, no, I haven't." She answered and bowed. "But... maybe he's only rehearsing the dialogues for his manga?"

"Huh?" That took Sarah by surprise given her tone.

"Well, to tell you the truth," Yakumo said, looking away from her. "We sometimes enact some scenes of his manga to get a full picture." Yakumo couldn't deny that they had done something of the sort despite how mightily awkward it was. It's not always but Harima sometimes ask her to read the dialogues in some certain scenes in the manga. He had complimented her acting skills after he watched her in the school play. Harima had said it made him see the story better. He started to join too when he thought his talents lie on acting when he thought Eri had ripped his manuscript before. The dialogues were changed depending on what he came up with at that moment since he wasn't really reading the script.

"What!? You do?" Sarah said disbelievingly.

Yakumo sheepishly nodded. _Maybe it's for the best this way instead of the alternative._

Sarah put down the dish she was holding, her eyes obscured by her hair. "Yakumo, tell me." Sarah slowly turned to face her. "Did he make you do something you didn't want to?" she ominously asked.

Yakumo was surprised and confused about this turn of events but she nonetheless answered, "Uhm, if you put it that way, then sometimes."

Sarah bowed her head low and touched Yakumo's shoulder. Yakumo was starting to be freaked out about her friend's behaviour. _What's happening?_

"I never realized how his manga had come to." Sarah raised her head and looked straight at Yakumo, eyes sharp. "Yakumo, don't tell me you already did it with him!?"

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

Sarah crossed her arms, her face in deep indignation. "Yakumo, that's not morally right to do if you're not married yet! I can't believe Harima is that kind of guy!"

"What do you mean?" _Married? What is she..._

When it finally dawned on Yakumo on what her friend was suggesting, steam went out from her ears and she blushed furiously. "No, Sarah! It's not like that!" She strongly denied. "We will never do something like that! Promise!"

Sarah perked an eye open. "Are you sure that's not the only thing both of you do behind closed doors?"

"We haven't done anything of the sort!"

"Are you sure? It's bad to lie."

"Of course, I-I'm sure!" Yakumo felt she was about to pass out again with the amount of blood going to her cheeks. A single pinprick would definitely do the job. _Do other people think the same too?_

Sarah sighed in relief. "Well, if you say so. Don't worry. I believe you. You're bad at lying in the first place so I can't imagine you can cover it up this long." Yakumo blushed still about the whole situation. "I'm sorry about that. I am mostly joking on that part."

Calmed by her words, Yakumo replied, "No, its okay. Harima really is a very good person and will never take advantage of someone."

Sarah smiled a little bit. "If that's the case, I should apologize for speaking badly about him." _And no wonder you like him a lot._ She wanted to add that but decided to spare Yakumo this time.

"So," Sarah said going back in washing the dishes. "He rehearsed his dialogues first? That make sense now that I think about it."

Yakumo cleared her throat. "He once told me manga only have words so he wanted to know how the dialogues would sound in real life. We compensate for it through the style of words or manga bubbles depending on the tone." She explained.

"I can see why you are his assistant." Sarah remarked. "You know, you could be a good editor someday."

Yakumo smiled at her friend's compliment. _I am actually planning to._

Sarah faintly laughed. "And I thought he was talking to ghosts and this is actually a haunted house. How unbelievable would that sound, right?"

The smile on Yakumo's face was starting to slip. There it was again. How ironic things sounded when it might actually be the truth. She went back in washing the dishes and replied, "Yes. That would sound very strange indeed."

x-x-x

A few days went by without any incident. Yakumo was in her classroom, staring blankly towards the window.

She was still bothered about the things Sarah had told her. It was very unnerving that the ghost could talk to Harima while Sarah could not see her. According to folklore or any superstitions, only people who have supernatural gifts could see or communicate to unnatural beings like ghosts or spirits. She knew she has that strange gift and she surmise that it was how she was able to see the mysterious young girl. Sarah might not have what people call the "third eye" and was unable to see her, but Harima apparently has and he can even talk to her.

The ghost isn't a wandering soul who had no place to go. If she was a typical ghost then she must at least saw others of her kind, but it wasn't the case. There was this strange connection she could feel that linked her and the ghost so maybe that's why she knew so much of her. The young girl was the only ghost she had encountered so far and she once thought she was just a figment of her imagination, until she had pop out from Harima's sketches. It was not just an exclusive between them. It was not sheer coincidence and the ghost affirmed her suspicion by revealing she had appeared to him.

"Ms. Tsukamoto."

When the ghost had said Harima was also supernaturally too, Yakumo was greatly perplexed. Was he like her? And if so, what kind of power does he have? She can see people's thoughts but Harima seemed to not have the same gift. Maybe he could only see ghosts ,and it was the most "sensible" reason she could think of so far.

"Ms. Tsukamoto?"

Whatever the ghost and Harima were talking about gave chills to her. It was strange that Harima hasn't talked about this to her or Sarah. Harima's obliviousness might have been useful for once. Ms. Osakabe had joked in one of their tea club meetings how terrified he was at this "Flunk-out Phantom" that had once terrorized him. He was scared of it because he was aware it is a ghost and its purpose. Yakumo didn't know if it existed at all since it sounded like a superstition, an urban legend to warn students with low grades. It was a childish warning but somehow Harima _and_ her sister got aboard and believed it. Those two seemed to be so clueless that they wouldn't be aware of it until it smack them in the face.

"Yakumo Tsukamoto." A voice imperiously said that woke Yakumo from her thoughts. She looked away from the window she kept staring for an indeterminate amount of time and found out everyone in the classroom was staring at her. Sarah in particular was wincing at her mistake. Their female English teacher was looking grumpy like she usually does, not pleased about her daydreaming.

"Yes, ma'am?" Yakumo sheepishly asked.

"Ms. Tsukamoto, you looked absent minded again. I won't have you sleeping in my class like you do on others." The teacher reprimanded her. Yakumo shrank from her seat in embarrassment. "For that please read this poem by Edgar Lee Masters, in front of the class."

Yakumo resisted the urge to be surprised by her order. She didn't want any attention, and standing in front of the class meant she can read the minds of every of her male classmates. She glanced towards Sarah who was looking worried sick at her situation.

Still, she was well versed in the English language so maybe her teacher won't get mad at her for too long.

Grabbing a book and wanting to finish her sentence, Yakumo went in and began to read. . .

-/-

_I have studied many times_

_The marble which was chiseled for me—_

_A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor._

_In truth it pictures not my destination_

_But my life._

_For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;_

_Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;_

_Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances._

_Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life._

_And now I know that we must lift the sail_

_And catch the winds of destiny_

_Wherever they drive the boat._

_To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,_

_But life without meaning is the torture_

_Of restlessness and vague desire—_

_It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid._

-/-

After reading, Yakumo felt uneasy. There was a bitter taste in her mouth that she cannot explain. The message of the poem struck something within her. She stood for a few seconds, wondering what the poem had done to her. She brought the book down and glanced towards her classmates. There was a muted cheer in the legion of her fans and thoughts sprang out from their heads.

_Wow! Yakumo is cute even when she's speaking English!_

_I could spend the whole day listening to her voice!_

_If only she would speak more often!_

_Oh, man. I wonder what she sounds like when she's..._

"Good work, Ms. Tsukamoto." The English teacher said quite pleased. Yakumo quickly looked away from the invasive thoughts and stared at her teacher. "Very good diction and pronunciation. It seems you're still a responsible student. You may go back to your seat now."

Yakumo bowed in modesty and returned to her seat. The poem wouldn't leave her mind. It was as if it was made for her. There were many things she was pondering about and now she was persisted by this poem that sounds not like a poem but was still called a poem.

_English sure is weird._

* * *

After the bell rang signalling for lunch break, the five students grouped up together for their usual routine.

"Hey, Yakumo, what gives?" Miki said rather exasperated, "You can sleep with both eyes open now?"

"I don't think that was the case, Miki." Haruna said with her casual soft voice. Yakumo blushed on what Haruna was pertaining. It wasn't as if she was only thinking about _him_.

"If I was the one who read in front of the class," Satsuki remarked, "I would probably shake terribly in panic."

"How's that possible?" Sarah asked the basketball ace. "You play basketball in front of many people and you never had jitters."

"It's because I'm not good at speaking English at all, unlike you and Yakumo." Satsuki answered matter-of-factly. "You're all this gifted linguist and whatnot. How can you even put all those words in your head?"

Sarah laughed at her supposed compliment. "I'm just used to it. I grew up with the language and I also find it hard learning Japanese. It's all about practice and immersion."

"Uhm, Sarah? What is the poem I read earlier?" Yakumo suddenly asked, joining in the conversation. Her friends looked at her, confused as to what she was asking.

Sarah amused a smile. "You aren't paying attention to our lessons, are you?" Yakumo reeled back in embarrassment. Miki in particular scratched her own cheek, evidently also hit by Sarah's tease.

"I'm just... curious about it, that's all." Yakumo answered.

Sarah placed an elbow on her desk and leaned her chin on one palm. "If I recall correctly, the teacher said it is a free verse poem that didn't conform to traditional poems with rhymes and meters. The poem you read is titled "George Gray". There was a collection of it, all of them titled to a certain person. And guessed what? The spooky part was all of them were based on people's name buried in a cemetery. It was like a collection of epitaphs if you think about it."

"So I read a poem from beyond the grave?"

"It was written by the living, not ghosts, Yakumo."

"Heck yeah," Miki resounded. "That would be freaking weird if a ghost is writing poems of all things. Wait, how can they write at all if things would just pass through them?"

"Miki, they're ghosts," Haruna answered. "The laws of physics or common sense don't apply to them."

"How would you know? Have you seen one?"

"Movies, Miki. Just like in the movies."

While her friends talk about ghosts or similar subjects that drifted to horror stories and movies, Yakumo remained silent. It was odd how she was the only one who has exposure to those things. Weird how people tend to be open-hearted courageous to these things until they experienced it for themselves how truly horrifying it was when you're the one in that position instead of safely behind silver screens.

The poem she had read earlier was indeed a warning for the living. She quickly surmised the name 'Gray' alluded to his life living in-betweens, in neither joy or sadness, comfort or risks, love or hate, in fear of the uncertainty, thus he had missed most what life has to offer. It was closely terrifying compared to her life.

Maybe eating lunch would fix her scattered mind.

Yakumo was about to grab her bento lunch box when her cellphone lit up and vibrated in her bag. Someone was texting her at this hour and it might be from Hanai or some boy who would invite her out to lunch.

Well, time to change her number again and inform it to her friends.

But wanting to make sure first it wasn't who she thought it was, Yakumo grabbed her cellphone instead of her lunch box and flipped it open. Her eyes widened when she saw whose number it came from.

"_Imouto-san, are you having your lunch now? Can you please go to the school's rooftop? I just want to talk to you."_

Harima. Brief and straight to the point. It had been a long time since he had texted her. Yakumo thought it would have been rather chaotic if he himself went to her and invited her out for lunch.

_Wait. What does Harima want me for? Does he want to have lunch with me?_

Blushing scarlet, Yakumo texted back that she would come in a few minutes. When she flipped close her phone she noticed Sarah was staring and smiling at her. The blonde was like a mind-reader and Yakumo knew that she knew what was up.

Yakumo grabbed her bento box and stood up. "I'm sorry everyone but I have to go somewhere."

Miki and Satsuki paused, the food still in their chopsticks. The ginger painfully grinned and put her chopsticks near Satsuki's mouth and said, "Here, Harima. I hope you like it." Surprisingly, Satsuki joined in the act and bit to the food.

"It's delicious, Yakumo." Satsuki purred. Haruna stared quietly at their pathetic charade but there was a sliver of an amused smile in her lips. The victim of their act stood stock still, shocked and appalled. Sarah isn't the only one who can read her now!

"Hey now, that isn't proper, and don't tease our Yakumo." Sarah chided them. She looked at Yakumo and continued. "It's okay. You don't want for him to wait, right?"

"He only wanted to have a talk—" Sarah half spun her around and began to push her.

"Hurry now or others might get wind of it, especially Hanai." Sarah whispered to her. Yakumo inwardly dreaded her warning. She apologized again and went out of the room.

x-x-x

Yakumo arrived on the rooftop. She had avoided the halls with high volumes of floating thoughts even if it took her a few minutes to pass through. Not every boy has a fixation on her and so she took those routes, but it didn't mean their thoughts were not visible up close. At least they weren't voicing it out loud like Hanai does.

When she arrived at her destination, she saw Harima sitting in his usual spot. He was leaning against the wall, his lunch box at his side.

"Hello, Harima." Yakumo greeted. "I'm sorry if I arrived a little late."

"No, it's okay." Harima replied. "I should be apologizing if I'm bothering you. Have you eaten your lunch yet?"

Yakumo motioned to what she's carrying, "Not yet actually."

"Good since I want to talk to you. Mind if you join me?"

At this, Yakumo blushed. _What does Harima want that he need to talk to me instead of at home? _Harima was simply inscrutable regarding his motives so she complied, "I don't mind." She went beside him and the two began to eat their lunch.

While eating, Yakumo noticed something was amiss from Harima's behaviour. His mind wasn't static and his eyes weren't half-lidded in stark boredom. It was blank as usual. He can't easily be talked to in school since he was so dismissive but the fact that he was the one who called for her and he was actually talking instead of giving glances only meant something was afoot. It only made her want to read his mind even more.

"I was thinking lately," Harima started talking. "With all that you have done for me, I don't think I deserve eating this lunch."

"No, it's okay. It's the least I can do, for you doing most of the chores."

"If you put it that way then I'm really grateful. You don't know how many times Hanai would try to steal, bargain or buy my lunch, but I can't exchange it for anything else." Harima took a bite. "Your cooking really is something."

Yakumo stopped midmeal after hearing his words. Harima's compliments always find their mark. Was Sarah right about him flirting with her? She couldn't trace a sliver of flattery from his words in how casually he delivered it. He said what it was and no one would deny his claims, but there was something in it that made it precious to her. She didn't want to be complimented by everyone all the time which she always 'see' day after day. The effectiveness of it losses upon repetition but Harima's casualness and easygoing, and saying it at the most unexpected time make it stood out among others.

"If you put it that way too, then thank you." Yakumo said smiling a little and then resumed her lunch. She was about to brought her chopsticks to her mouth when suddenly the picture of Miki feeding Satsuki barged in to her mind. She couldn't do something so forward but at least Harima complimented her which half-fulfilled the whole picture.

After almost done in their lunch, Harima brought down his chopsticks and said, "Imouto-san, do you remember the night when I told you we should be together?"

Yakumo suddenly lost her appetite. Remembering that awkward night gave her a bittersweet feeling. She could never forget how he practically cut off her first confession that took so much willpower from her. "Uhm, yes." She mumbled.

"You haven't answered yet."

"Eh?"

"I was also thinking about it lately that I may have said it the wrong way before so..." Harima looked straight to her eyes and said in a straight tone, "Let's be a couple. I mean it."

_For love was offered me..._

Yakumo gulped. The poem she read earlier haunted her from the back of her mind. There was a small part of her that wanted to shout out 'yes' and jump into his arms, but this was all too quick and informal. Was that how a relationship starts? Was he really flirting with her? Was this real? There were many questions in her mind that only made matters more confusing.

"Uhm, this is all too sudden," Yakumo said and bowed. "I – I don't know what to say..."

Harima scratched the back of his head with an embarassed expression. "Oh, right. I'm sorry I'm being too fast over there. Deciding to be a co-author needs time."

Yakumo quickly perked up. "What?"

"Well, I decided you'll not gonna be simply my assistant anymore but as a fellow author. Hearing your suggestions about your character stirs something up. I can't think of any story for the manga by myself these few days so I need to hear your ideas. That means you'll be taking part of the storymaking so you'll be a co-author."

"A... c-co-author?" Yakumo stammered.

"Yeah. Isn't that what it means in English? Couple-authors? Like co-pilots or co-host?"

Yakumo was completely dumbstruck. How Harima could come up with such logic? Did Eri teach him this? It didn't sound right in the first place and it was something only Harima could come up with. His thoughts could outwit the brightest of minds that even if ancient philosophers came back to life for only that purpose would not guess that. She herself was a literal mind reader and still she couldn't fathom the deep bowels of Harima's mind through deduction and reasoning.

There was this feeling again, a feeling of great disappointment and sadness. Any girl would be in their utmost limit concerning their patience with this man. It was near insulting to their hopes and feelings to be toyed by outrageous expectations and teases. Once was enough, but twice?

_...and I shrank from its disillusionment._

Yakumo steeled herself once again from her near breakdown. It was not all bad when seen in a different perspective. He was now offering her to be a fellow author, not someone who will only be called for her feedback or helping in inking panels. This time she will be involved how the story would progress. There were some ideas floating above her head these couple of days and maybe that was a sign.

In effect, they would spend more time in brainstorming for possible stories. She was a character in his manga and she was, in a sense, entitled to that. This might have made Harima think the manga was not sorely his anymore but 'theirs'. The two of them really work well together in the creation of the first chapter and it was only sensible to continue it that way.

She was now decided.

"I'm... also thinking about it lately so... it's okay. I would," - love? – "I would like to be an author alongside you."

"Alright, Imouto-san! I knew I could count on you!" Harima exclaimed, patting her on the shoulder. "Let's be the best couple-authors out there!"

Yakumo weakly smiled, wasn't sure whether she would laugh or cry.

* * *

**Author's Corner:** The poem is from the Spoon River Anthology titled "George Gray" written by Edgar Lee Masters. I absolutely take no credit from it. It's not mine. Period. If someone has a problem with it, I'll remove it from this chapter so no one would sue my ass to court or whatnot.

Now that disclaimer was over, it's also an allusion to Harima in his very brief sailor days. Also, that was my pathetic attempt of language misunderstanding. What was SR without any misunderstanding? I remember SR had always used such misunderstandings both in the anime and manga. It just sometimes throws me off since they were sometimes hard to get without footnotes.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Yakumo looked out from the window of her room. It was past 10pm and the two of her housemates were asleep at this hour, but she couldn't sleep.

Her earlier "promotion" bugged her to no end. It was something she should be happy about, but the way it went only dampened the occasion.

How could Harima be that naive? Did he even think that through? His choice of words was something to marvel at. If she told Sarah about it, she would undoubtedly be appalled even angry at him. He was the most unpredictable person she knew and expecting any more from him only makes it worse.

Staring at the vast night sky glittering with countless stars, she wondered if she could continue on like this, always in the understanding side, to keep on taking in without complaining.

She hoped to wait for him to heal his heart first and then maybe, maybe, there would a room in his heart. Taking advantage over someone's absence wasn't an option for her, especially it was her sister's. Eri might have been thinking the same thing as she hasn't made her move yet - as far as she knows. But it hasn't made it any easier.

It wasn't the first she had dealt with this patience game before, thanks to her rambunctious sister.

Tenma had always been an exercise of patience especially when they were kids. Her older sister always had something in mind to test her patience with. Along the way Yakumo realized her sister was doing it with the best of intentions. Tenma wanted to cheer her up and there is no other person that would do it for her. She knew the pain of loss too but despite all that, she was bright and positive. Her older sister became her light in those tumultuous times when only the two of them have each other.

Her sister always did the silliest and unpredictable choices in her life and Yakumo never did once question her reasons or motives. One particular question was about her choice in boys, in what in the whole spacious earth did she liked in the passive and stoic Karasuma. He wasn't much of a looker and he acted (and dressed) very weird, but he has some surprising talents like playing the guitar and being a renowned manga artist. Knowing those hidden traits makes it possible for someone to like him.

There was always something behind every people's outside appearance that makes them larger what they appear to be and maybe that's why Tenma liked him. Yakumo wasn't sure if Tenma knew it all along or she simply has a good sense of character that managed to look beyond a person's facade.

However, Tenma and Karasuma's relationship was one-sided but she never wavered until it was near impossible. If it wasn't for Harima, Tenma would have given up and lose purpose.

It was this unheralded sacrifice that stood out to Yakumo that others had ignored. It was Harima's unselfishness that made it possible. The credit wasn't all on him but it was the needed spark to move everyone to action.

Maybe she was the same as her sister when it comes to boys. Tenma liked Karasuma which no one knew why and Yakumo had grown to like Harima which others quickly concluded before she herself knew it.

But she wasn't her sister who Harima had fallen in love with. Tenma was always cheerful, beaming, and impulsive whereas she was the opposite of her, always in control of her feelings and actions. If Harima like girls who were like Tenma, then it was logical he would not be attracted to someone quiet such as herself. If she pondered about it more, Tenma and Harima were quite similar to each other at some way. Both were oblivious at heart but will never do something bad in purpose. They like the same things and would go to great lengths for the person they love.

Yakumo could not find a better person fit for Harima, and she even let Tenma help him in his manga at one time. Granted, it resulted Tenma and Harima in a hospital because they'd frantically rode during a storm. It was against any person's common sense to do something so reckless but Yakumo didn't become very mad at him for nearly killing her sister in the accident. Harima thought Karasuma was in a grave accident and in response wanted to bring Tenma by his side to assure her he's okay. Even if it didn't turn out what he thought, at least Tenma had managed to meet up with Karasuma. It made her happy that Karasuma had visited her and she somehow forgot the whole accident. Yakumo couldn't be mad at Harima if her sister was this ready to forgive him.

Above all, it made her see Harima would indeed go to great lengths, even sacrificing his own limited time with Tenma, just to make her smile. It was reckless, sure, but so do Tenma and her attempts to make her younger sister happy and to make Karasuma notice her. No wonder Harima fell in love with her and only her.

Yakumo glanced towards her room, the bright moonlight only the source of light.

The sterility of her room seemed striking tonight. The room was arranged according to her liking. Her belongings - books, picture albums, clothes, and any personal attachments - were neatly arranged in one of the sliding drawers in the walls. She could easily access it with pinpoint accuracy where a specific item can be found even if she's blindfolded. There were only few things that were visible and those things cannot be hidden because of their function. They were simple and it was to her choosing.

But tonight, looking at her room, it felt... empty. She continually stared with half-lidded eyes. It had never occurred to her to think too much about what her room represented, until now.

Her room would have been a catalogue from some magazine for all it was worth. All of the things that defined a person were carefully hidden under some covers. It wouldn't even tell it was a girl's room at first glance. Her room was hollow and devoid of much character. A company of friends were supposed to be a judge of one's identity but one's room can also tell what a person waiss.

She had cleaned Tenma's room many times before. It was always messy and out of sync to live in. Her clothes were scattered in some places due to rummaging what kind of clothes she would wear to impress Karasuma despite all of her school uniforms looked the same. There was something a week old, food or clothes perhaps, lurking underneath her bed. Yakumo always wondered why her sister would stow something away and then forgot about it the next day. The layout of the room changed sporadically whenever Tenma feels like it. Whenever she cleaned her own room, the order of her things changed depending on what the easiest and fastest way to finish the deed. The clothes were not neatly stacked but simply shoved together until all fits inside, that same procedure applies to others as well. It looked presentable and neat, until one opens her bulging closet and drawers.

But despite of the misgivings, it was full of color, full of life. Her numerous pictures with her friends proudly stood in one desk. Stuffed toys, wrestling posters, Three-for-the-kill merchandises, Mangoku's enshrined autograph that Yakumo gave her (which Yakumo got from Harima originally), the CD's of her favourite bands littered all across the room. It showed her loving personality and she was not afraid to showcase it. Her friends usually hang out in her room in their sleepovers preferring how lively and carefree the room was.

After Tenma's departure, the things she couldn't take with her was now in storage. Sarah was now in her room and she had transformed the room according to her sweet and cheery personality. It was clean, much like Yakumo's room, and it was arranged that could easily connect to her lifestyle.

Harima's room, despite him being close-hearted to everyone, has a semblance of personality in it. His signature leather jacket, art utensils, and manga sketches were visibly shown around. It was a boy's room and Yakumo thought they were supposed to be chaotic in the way of things but surprisingly he was a neat bug. Ms. Osakabe really straightened him out to be a clean freak. Also, she could sometimes hear him playing his guitar in his room whenever she would remind him it was time for dinner. He would instantly stop playing the guitar as if he was embarrassed to be caught even though he played really well. She never expected these things from him and it raised her admiration for him.

Thinking of Harima, he had said he watched over her when she fainted... again. The first time was when she got sick and she wasn't even aware what's happening. The thought of him carrying her in his arms was flustering, and she somehow regrets she can't remember any of it. He definitely had seen her room a few times now and she wondered what he thought of it.

_I wonder what he thought of my room... and me. If only I could read his mind..._

It was saddening to conclude he might think of her as a boring and dull person. Her room speaks nothing of excitement or activity. It was achingly passive and simple as her personality. She didn't have a specific hobby that she could call her own. She was good at everything she did and it only made things less committal to do so. Her whole life so far had narrowed to academics and household chores that it was depressing how true it was. Everything seemed easy and she never felt any accomplishment from it.

Until she was introduced in the world of manga.

There was a strange uplifting feeling whenever both of them finished an issue. She would never dream to be associated to manga of all profession. Not only she had met the man she had fallen for her, it gave her a chance of creating a whole new world depending on her liking. Her introduction as a character and now as a fellow author gave her this realization.

Harima had undoubtedly used this as an escape from reality. Much of his manga tells stories of him and Tenma if circumstances were different. Its settings ranged from different timelines: Stone Age, medieval period, ancient Japan, distant future, or present time. Its endings usually were cheesy and quite a stretch from the truth but Harima wanted it to end that way. Yakumo was always careful not to pinpoint how unrealistic it was; knowing full well he himself already knew that. There's no reason to voice it out and further sadden him.

She was now a character in his manga but will it share the same fate of being unrealistic? Even in a what-if scenario, would that trend continue, always what-if or what-might-have-been scenarios that would never come true?

But that was the only thing she clung to now. Doing his manga with him gave her a sense of purpose and even it wasn't for her benefit, then at least she was helping him out.

She wondered what kind of activity she would be involved in if she didn't take the chance rummaging a manila envelope that was left behind by a customer. It was against her principles to snoop someone else's belongings but that fateful act had paved the way for her to be the unwitting assistant of that customer.

She didn't expect that to happen but that was the specific junction that turned things around for her. Along the way she had grown a desire to be a manga editor after finding it quite enjoyable. But she kept it to herself.

When she opened her possible choices of profession like being a doctor, a psychiatrist or a nutritionist to Harima when he was in the hospital for the surgery of his appendix, he had said he can see her being in those jobs. He, on the other hand, downplayed his own goals given he was aware he wasn't smart as her and it made Yakumo hide her desire of being a manga editor to him. He might be surprised why she would choose such profession given her talents and dissuade her. Hearing the words from him would definitely discourage her.

Yakumo sighed audibly.

She was thinking too much again. That was what's wrong with her: spending more time mulling things over instead of acting on it. Insanity was defined as expecting different results in doing the same thing over again. But what was the word for expecting different results without doing anything _at all__?_

That was also one thing wrong with her: she was afraid to do anything. She blamed herself for this weakness. The fault not only lies in Harima's insensitivity but to her inability to voice out her own opinion. She was content with how things going so far right now and she didn't want anything to change anymore, but it won't stay like that for long. Her sister had left in a blink of an eye and it could also happen to Harima too.

If Harima left, she wasn't sure if she could easily accept it. Sarah and Harima made things easier for her to cope in Tenma's absence. But who would fill-in if or when Harima left? That would leave a gaping hole again in her heart that would be very hard to heal. Her father's death, Tenma's departure, and now...

Yakumo waived her head quickly. She didn't want to think about that anymore and so she stared back again towards the glittering night sky to change her train of thought.

The image of the full moon along with the stars was too perfect a picture. Whenever she feel down, she always stares towards the sky for heavenly inspiration. Her father had always showed her the stars, naming and pointing each constellation to her. She was a child back then and so has no idea why three parallel stars would be someone's belt.

_You must use your imagination to see them_, he had told to her, _and only then they would appear to you._

Since hearing those words, she enjoyed watching the heavens display their muted glory; for each and every wink of the stars could be potential new worlds. It was intriguing and exciting for all the possibilities it contained. One's imagination and the sky's own mystery always come hand in hand, making it something to behold at.

Harima had once said to her going steady was accumulating a series of memorable moments with someone, making it a foundation in a relationship. Since hearing his words, she wanted to share a specific moment with someone she would love someday. She picked a moment that she would like to share but it wasn't hers originally. She had borrowed it from a nameless boy from her childhood.

That experience sparked the inspiration within her when she remembered some boy who had dressed up as her father, as much coincidence or fate would have it, and had led her and her sister to the school's rooftop. He let them see not only the winter night sky but also the glowing beacon that was Yagami city. Unlike the sky with its passive beauty, the city glowed and moved in constant activity. It was one sight that had changed her.

Upon looking at the bright city and the vast sky, memories from her father flooded within her and she had cried in remembrance of him. She had lost track of her father and had turned cold after his absence. Because of this dawning experience her memories of him returned in full force. She stopped being so harsh towards her sister and had learned to accept people she loved weren't truly gone as long as she carried their memories in her heart.

Yakumo wished she could meet that boy again but she has no lead whatsoever how to search for him. The boy might have forgotten about it or he might be living somewhere else right now. She didn't even know that boy's name to begin with.

She wanted to imitate that stunt but with someone she would love someday. It would be one of those moments she would love to share.

She closed her eyes in contemplation.

_If only I could..._

There was a small part in the back of her mind expecting the ghost would appear any second now that she was feeling down. She turned around and didn't see any young girl that might have given anyone a heart attack. She was prepared for it and she somehow wanted to talk to her to clarify things.

Yakumo returned to her bed and tried to sleep; burying her thoughts deep, like she had done to so many others.

x-x-x

Yakumo was in her classroom staring through the window again, only paying half attention. It didn't help she didn't get enough sleep last night. Thinking about the current situation and a new story for Harima's manga were two different things. The problem about the supernatural aspect seemed to be waste of time to mull about since it won't solve anything just by worrying about it, and so she started thinking about the manga.

There were many things floating around her mind regarding of being an author. She began to wonder this and that and choosing which one was better was challenging. If she settled in one story, a part of her would criticize it so severely that it looked worse than the other idea. A vicious cycle would commence until she was forced to reach out for help. No wonder Harima had a hard time in this task. She couldn't ask for help from her friends. Miki in particular had given up thinking of a story when she once tried to help her while the rest of her friends didn't have any experience regarding manga. Harima had only asked her so it would be best to not involve them.

Despite of the trouble it brought, this mind exercise gave her a much needed distraction from the common nuisances she faced daily. There was something in her mind other than ignoring unwanted thoughts. It makes it easier to ignore it.

The bell rang signalling for lunch break. As Sarah, Haruna, Satsuki, and Haruna prepped their lunchboxes on their desks, Yakumo stood up.

"Hey Yakumo, where are you going?" Miki asked as she was unravelling her lunch box. Sarah cleared her throat a few times in hopes Miki would get the drift soon enough.

"Oh, right!" Miki continued. "Never mind! Have fun, okay?" At the back, Haruna nearly face palmed how naive her friend was to subtlety.

Yakumo left with a grateful bow and proceeded to go to the rooftop.

"Oh, man!" Miki swooned. "I feel so jealous! Why hasn't Hanai asks me out for lunch?"

Satsuki rest an elbow on her desk and asked, "Have you forgotten the part that you accused him of being a stalker?"

"What do you mean?" Miki asked genuinely clueless.

"It's when you and Sarah planned that little act to let _him_ stay with _her_? I actually thought it wouldn't work when Haruna told it to me, but apparently everything went fine."

"Of course it is!" Miki exclaimed. "That's the power of love!"

"And you're okay with Hanai being mad at you?"

"Why would he be mad at me for? It was Harima who knocked him out, not me."

Haruna finally gave in and faced palmed. "Miki," she said getting her friend's attention. "It was your involvement for letting his rival live with his crush. He even stopped coming to the church for confession when he learned Sarah was involved too." The nun in question scratched her own cheek in embarrassment now that she was in the fray.

"What! If I knew he would end up hating me, I would have never participated!"

"Then what about _her_?" Satsuki asked. "I thought you would help her out by any means necessary?"

"Of course, but... but... Gah!" Miki stood up and grabbed her bento box. "I'll just have lunch with Hanai. He'll understand and besides, he still owes me a date."

"Isn't it that you owe him and not the other way around?" Before Satsuki had finished her question, Miki was now storming for the door.

Sarah sighed. "The things we do for love."

x-x-x

"Oh, Imouto-san, you're quite early." Harima said when she saw Yakumo approaching.

"I don't want to be late like yesterday." Yakumo sat beside Harima who was preparing his lunch. "I haven't thanked you for adding me as a character in your manga, so thank you." She added.

"Don't worry about it." Harima replied. "It's like you deserved more so that's why I also let you join in the story. I've been actually thinking about that lately." Yakumo simply smiled in appreciation and both started their lunch.

While the two were eating, they talked about the possible stories they could do with the manga.

Harima had talked about some factors to consider first before making any story. The flow should still be like the last issues. He didn't want to throw off his readers with a different approach this early and so the stories they make should be fillers as much as possible and only hinting the main story between them. That way, they could prolong the series and add character development. There could be new characters introduced or they could revisit characters that were shown from previous issues. That was what's great about time skips: reintroducing a character with a laid foundation makes it more interesting.

The universe they create is open world and nothing's limiting them from thinking of radical adventures. There's no strict time table they were following as long as they don't contradict the lore by throwing out fillers recklessly. If they did, red herrings or plot twists were usually used to correct lore mishaps and that was a key tool that they would use to prolong their adventures.

Also, Harima wanted the story as a romantic comedy but will slowly evolve into a more serious theme. He didn't intend his manga to be read as one colossal comedy with wits and laughter only. There would be several scenes where the series would take itself seriously. Recollections, flashbacks, character's back stories and the like were tragedy material. It gives various flavors in their manga if different emotions were stirred.

After Harima said all those observations, Yakumo couldn't herself be surprised how knowledgeable he was. It was a bit more complex than she initially thought. She didn't know some of those things and it sounded like Harima knew this stuff by experience alone. Regardless, she spoke what's in her mind.

As the manga's main characters were based on themselves, Yakumo proposed that their real life quirks should be added. Harima's constant lack of money mirrors Hario's lack of money too. The knight works with different odd jobs to make ends meet just like Harima. Both of them were loners who didn't want other's company unless with the people they really trust. Ya'mo's silent and calm nature will act as a foil to balance him out. If Hario was doing something in impulse then it was her to warn him of the consequences. She was more knowledgeable when it comes to magic which Hario always falls prey according to his background story. In order to prevent such accidents, she acts as an observer to explain the complexity of those spells and consequences. In so doing, not only Hario was informed but the readers as well.

However, Yakumo noted her character shouldn't be overpowered and a know-it-all character. The first chapter gave her the feeling she was a bit too strong if the mage could be on par, if not better, to Hario's swordsmanship. There should be a weakness that could limit her abilities.

It could be solved by limiting her magical prowess and stamina, Yakumo noted. Wielding magic was already a big advantage so whenever she tried to use it, it would drain much of her stamina. There should be a limit on how many she can perform in a given time. It was already foreshadowed in the first chapter where Ya'mo got tired after using two consecutive spells. Her close combat capability will be reduced for defensive purposes only since Ya'mo would be a pacifist and will not resort to physical violence. This balances her out and puts her in equal footing with Hario.

For the story, they could also base it in their own experiences. It was still a romantic comedy and misunderstandings and running gags were present to give it a nice flow overall. They have many scenarios they could choose from. One was the two characters were always mistaken as a couple at first glance. Revisiting previous characters who knew Hario before he met Ya'mo, they'll sometimes point out the mage who's travelling with him as something more than it appears to be. And then there were some "incidentals" that would imply something else. Of course, the two characters would deny it but the trend would still continue at some parts. There would be some chapters where their bond will be tested and how it would grow depending in their interactions. Both were loners before they met each other and they would slowly learn to depend on one another as the story progress.

Yakumo had inwardly wished that the readers would pair the two but as expected, she didn't said this to Harima. Her character isn't originally planned to pair with him since the main heroine was still out there somewhere. Still, there is no harm to wish for it.

The two finished their conversation and lunch just as they thought of a story for the next chapter. It was mostly about wandering in a town and solving one of the lingering problems that said town faced. Hario would be initially unwilling to help people he wasn't concerned with and Ya'mo's reclusive nature won't allow herself to be involved if it could be avoided. But upon realizing the situation could perhaps be linked to the princess they were looking for or about the Dark Lord's activities, they would be the unwitting saviors of the town. They may found some clues and some would be just red herrings but it would improve their relationship with the people in a war torn land. Those little act of kindness could also stretch to another story arc where they would meet those characters again. It wasn't their intended goals but as time went on, they will soon grow to act with compassion instead of with ulterior motives.

Harima and Yakumo parted ways to their respected classrooms and Yakumo in particular smiled inwardly that she was wrong to think negatively about her position. It was quite exciting and more enjoyable than simply reading his story and inking layouts.

Things were getting better.

x-x-x

It was Yakumo's day off. She sometimes work during weekdays after school so she has some day offs during Saturdays. Her boss gave her this schedule since he didn't want her to work in a day that was typical for a person her age to be with friends. But to her though, she usually stayed mostly at home if her friends didn't have plans to go out and invite her.

Sarah has work and Harima would hand _their_ manga. Unfortunately though, Harima was called for an errand for his cousin. Something about unpaid rent and he should clean his cousin's apartment to compensate for it.

It means Yakumo would be alone this Saturday. She didn't mind about handling the chores. Harima had fed Shiba early and it wouldn't fall the task to her. It was an undeclared deal between them. It was Harima who brought the dog here so it was his responsibility to take care of it, not hers.

As Yakumo was folding her clothes, she heard a barking sound outside. This gave her anxiety due to her fear of dogs, but her logical part was saying there was someone out there that merited to be barked at.

She went outside and saw Shiba barking. It was strange that she only heard this dog barked until now. The dog mostly dozed off, lazily walked or sniffed around until he got too tired and slept again. This slothful behaviour made her avoid him easily and she never complained about it.

But this time, the dog was barking continuously. There was something amiss about it.

Yakumo walked a couple of steps to know what bothered the dog this much. She knew she can't surprise a dog that was this defensive.

"It seems I cannot do what he can do." A soft voice said.

_Wait. I know that voice_

Yakumo took a few steps and she gasped at what she saw. The big dog noticed her and stopped barking.

"Oh, hello there," the young girl greeted in her strange monotone voice. "Nice to meet you again, Yakumo."

* * *

**Author's Corner:** I swear, I get carried away with these "filler words" every chapter. I actually don't notice how long they are until I finished it. Maybe I should just blaze through with the story. That may be a bad idea but I just get this feeling it's unnecessarily long at times. I don't know.

Well, reviews are always appreciated. It gives me a warm feeling inside. At least, it makes me realize some people are reading this! XD


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

* * *

"Nice to meet you, Yakumo."

"W-w-what are you –"

Shiba continued his loud bark that shook Yakumo with dread. Her hand started to tremble and she wrung her hands together to stop it.

"Oh, it seems you can't speak with him around." The young girl said eyeing the enraged dog. She raised a hand up to eye level. "Then let's talk here." As soon as she spread her fingers, pitch black darkness fanned out from behind her to all directions.

Yakumo began to back away in an attempt to escape this dark grasp, but then felt her legs bumped into something and she fell backwards. Her back hit something hard and before she got her composure, the darkness wrapped around her and her vision went dark.

x-x-x

"Hey, dishwasher?"

Harima gave his cousin a contemptuous reply, "What is it now, Itoko?"

"Is it okay to leave your assistant alone in her house?" The purple haired teacher asked who was comfortably watching the TV.

"She can handle herself pretty well. I'm sure of that." Harima asnwered. He momentarily stopped washing the dishes and stared at the stacks upon stacks of unwashed dishes, batches of used mugs and plethora of forks and spoons. Itoko wasn't a basement dweller who has no regards in cleanliness, but in the looks of it his stern cousin might have prepared all of this specifically for him to clean. She was living alone and to use all her available utensils would take weeks to accumulate. If he didn't know better, Itoko didn't bother washing the dishes after he left.

"You sure trust her a lot. I'm just concerned for my tea club member, that's all."

"She's more capable than she looks." Harima replied." She took care of... Tenma, after all."

Itoko swiped a strand of her hair out of her eyes. _Looks like someone here isn't recovered yet._ "What about that Sawachika girl? How is your relationship with her?"

If Harima was holding a knife or fork, he might have flung it to his cousin's direction. But knowing his cousin's reflexes, she might dodge it easily and fling it back to him. "It's not your business!" Harima retorted. "And why do you even have this many dishes?! You didn't have all of this when I was staying in here!"

Itoko chuckled. "Don't change the subject, my dear cousin."

"As I said, it's not your business. Why are you even worried about me? You just kicked me out for no good reason!"

"Let's just say..." Itoko softly said while twirling her hair. "I'm really curious how all of this would pan out."

"What?"

The doorbell suddenly rang prompting Itoko to stand up. She went to the door as Harima grudgingly went back to his chore.

Itoko opened the door and was greeted by a woman. "Oh, Youko, nice timing." Itoko said to her guest.

The visitor has long light brown hair and her bangs equally ended at the top of her eyes. There was a pink ribbon laced around her left hair that framed her face. Her calm hazel eyes that matched her hair make her lovelier to her already beautiful features.

"Hello Itoko." Ms. Sasakura greeted with a warm smile and waved a hand. "Where should we go for my next painting?"

"Just a stroll in the mountainside. I don't really know what you will paint in the first place."

"Is Harima finished yet?"

_What the hell are they talking about?_ Harima inwardly thought.

"Hey Kenji." The purple haired teacher said. Harima turned around to face his two teachers. "After you are done with that, separate Youko's dishes from mine and then deliver it to her apartment. All of my utensils are plain while hers are artistic. You'll get the drift. Every dish you break or misplace, you'll pay ten times the price."

_So this is why there are so many?! Did she carried all this here for me to clean!_

"We'll just go for a ride, Kenji. You better clean all this before I came back."

"Good luck, Harima! And thank you!"

The two left for their casual ride leaving a fuming Harima.

_Damn! I thought I was off the hook with that witch! This will gonna take forever!_

Sulking and accepting his fate, Harima returned to his chore. He looked to his side and remembered a familiar voice.

'_There aren't many dishes to wash, Harima. If you don't mind, I'll wash them.'_

Harima sighed. _I hope Yakumo is okay._

x-x-x

"I thought you wanted to talk to me?" the ghost asked. "I'll entertain you since this is what you want."

The two were once again in the hellish dimension of scarlet and darkness. The ghost hovered in front of Yakumo who looked warily.

Mustering her courage, Yakumo formed a fist and replied, "W-what do you mean Harima is like me? What are you really planning?"

The young girl bowed hiding her eyes. A smile soon slowly etched to her lips, making her look menacingly. Yakumo backed away as she felt something dreadful will follow.

Surprisingly, the young girl raised her head and laughed loudly, "Bahahahaha! Why are you so scared and tense for?!" she asked in a childish tone. "It's not that I'm going to hurt you!"

"Eh? Whaa-"

The ghost shrugged, "I can't simply appear whenever you wanted. That's not how it works."

"B-but what are you doing earlier?" Yakumo asked, confused.

"I was only trying what he can do. It seems I can't."

"You mean Harima? What -"

"After all this time, you still don't know?" the ghost asked rather sarcastically. "People who have gifts are somewhat sensitive to their own kind. May I ask: Did he figured out you can read minds?"

Yakumo drew aback. She never thought much when Harima guessed she has psychic powers. It was more of wild guess than any other. No one had thought of it like that except for him. She wasn't that surprised when he said to her since it was Harima and it was something only he could think of.

The ghost tilted her head. "Pity, but I'm not surprised at this. His is even unique among the gifted." She stopped hovering and stepped onto the metaphysical plane. "I've been in this world for so many years now and this is the first time I've seen this. It may be because he reads a different type of mind entirely."

"What do you mean?"

"People who have feelings for you have opened their hearts to you so you can read their minds. To counter it, simply not open it."

Yakumo knew that loophole exists. She for once was not able to read Hanai's mind during Mikoto's birthday party. Even though he dedicated his horrible performance to her, his mind was unreadable and there's no intimidating aura radiating from him. It might be because someone was in his mind already and it prevented his thoughts from leaking out.

"But there are exceptions." The ghost continued. "That man is a strange case indeed. To tell you the truth, his ignorance mocks everything that I represent. I could not read or take hold of his inner turmoil even though I know it's there. Something's blocking it..." She paused for a second and looked straight Yakumo in the eye, "and that something is what I want."

Yakumo'e eyes widened. "You don't mean..."

"There are some conditions before I can perform it. Rest assured. At this rate, I think it would be quite impossible. I talked to him and all of it just flew over his head."

"What are you two talking about?"

"When I said that I'm a part of you I'm not joking. Everyone has their own inner self to deal with, even him. You can call it the ego, conscience or inner demons. I am a fraction but I am sentient, and I have my own will. I only talked about something you don't share with others. I guess he did the same too.

"It's ironic. You two are opposites and yet quite the same. He can see me because you two share the same loneliness that created me. You two sing the same song that called me."

The ghost turned around and she started to disappear, "It doesn't matter if I didn't get his gift." Before she completely vanished, she said in a low voice, "It also doesn't matter if I take yours."

Before those words sink into Yakumo's mind, her vision started to become fuzzy and she felt nauseous. She passed out and everything went dark.

x-x-x

Yakumo heard an insistent sniffing sound. There was something wet grazing her face and she opened her eyes. Her vision slowly cleared and to her shock, a big fanged creature was inches away from her face. She gave what might have been generously called a squeal of surprise and she quickly scooted back. Her heart continued to thump in her chest to this rude awakening.

"I-I'm fine, Shiba. T-thank you." Yakumo stuttered as her shaking hands were raised to her chest.

The big dog simply sat with a carefree expression so common to his breed. What passed as a contemptuous snort, he walked away to find a good napping place.

Yakumo slowed her breathing to control herself and found herself sitting on the veranda. So she passed out when she tripped. Hopefully it didn't take too long.

As soon as she touched her cheek, a horrible realization passed through her mind. She quickly ran towards the sink to wash off the icky saliva from her face. Some say a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's mouth but she won't take any chances. It was revolting no matter where she looked at it.

Yakumo sat on a chair as she calmed down, trying to make sense what just happened earlier.

Sarah or Harima haven't returned home yet. She didn't know if the ghost purposely appears without any one around to disturb them. It would be very messy indeed if she suddenly appeared in their midst while they were having dinner. This was one consolation she has with this ghost. At least she was decent and considerate enough.

_Is it time to take action against this? How many times have I asked this to myself?_

The ghost's motives were quite dangerous if it meant about extracting their psychic abilities. How will she do it? Now that she thought about it, it is quite beneficial if she will give it to her whole heartedly. She didn't ask for it and it made things awkward with people around her. Her powers made her see people's thoughts and hidden intentions and it gave her warning signs to not associate with such people. It has its pros and cons but it makes things harder than it should be. It's a curse and a gift at the same time. It made her wonder what Harima can do with his power if it interested the little girl. It might have been something more extraordinary than it already is.

_It might be about animals?_ Yakumo wondered.

The ghost was intently looking at Shiba like Harima does when lecturing the dog. There would be a few seconds of staredown and then he would instruct them like kids. It had happened before in Iori, though Harima explained it to her why the cat was friendly to him was because he once saved Iori from drowning, which Yakumo thanked him when she found out.

She can read people's minds but reading _animal minds _is way unique in its own. Even if she can read some animal minds she can't understand it because she didn't share their language. But the problem lies if it's indeed language barrier the problem. Animals can communicate normally but not through the conventional spoken language humans have. Some animals like parrots can mimic simple phonetic words but it didn't mean it's what they're saying. They're just imitations of sound and not actual communication.

Also, there's no common language exclusive to one animal. No person can learn "animal talk" that encompasses the whole animal kingdom. A lion can't communicate with a bear and what appears a smile on a dog can be an entirely different thing to them. Even human languages have a plethora of kinds that there's no official language that transcends all of it.

To understand and communicate, it needs to have a connection outside language limitations and find common ground: "Linking of minds" in other words. It should work on two parties and not for an individual only. Telepathy is a two-way street. She can read people's minds but no other people can read hers. But some animals can and will be docile or obedient to her, like a giraffe or a whale would be, though they don't understand what they're trying to say to one another. Somehow, that connection satisfies them to put their guard off around her.

They have _different minds entirely _just like the ghost said. That difference may perhaps hinder her from understanding Iori's mind or any other animals. She can't understand them since she doesn't have a mind that functions like them. It makes it more unbelievable if a person harbours such a unique mind.

_Does Harima have an animal mind? _Yakumo wondered.

It sounds preposterous and quite an insult to say to a person. But the more she thought about it, the more reasonable it appeared. Maybe it was because of this that she can't read Harima's mind? Since he has one, then her mind and his don't sync with one another, creating a "mental dissonance". His power is about linking an animal mind to his so he could communicate with them.

It actually makes sense now. Maybe that white noise she sees in him during school hours was because of this. Was it shielding his mind from her all this time? Does this mean that he possibly likes her at all?

Then what about when she read his mind that one time? What was that all about? It was incomplete but he indeed opened his heart at that moment, opening it slightly ajar to quickly shut it close. It didn't happen again though, but it means that she _could _his mind albeit incomplete.

All this thinking actually made Yakumo's head hurt. She might be overly thinking this. Her strange theory has credibility along with its holes but that's what she can gather at the moment. The only way to make sound evidence was to test it.

The only thing she was worried about was Harima's reaction to it. It's not in her nature to test a person of all things just to prove her theory correct. She can't just ask him directly if he has psychic powers. It was something quite noticeable in one's life to have but Harima seemed not to be bothered by it. He always keeps his past a secret to anyone, even to her. All she knew was that Harima was quite a delinquent before she fell in love with her sister. She didn't want to ask him of his background since maybe those memories were of his past self that he chose to leave behind. He might have mistaken his powers as normal day occurrence and accepted it as it is.

Also, he might do something drastic and might worsen the situation if he knew what was up. Can she outright say, _'Harima, there's some ghost who wants your power by the way.'_ She would have to trust the ghost's words that she can't influence him no matter what she did. Maybe it would be the same like Tenma before. It won't bother him much if she didn't make fuzz about it.

A week should be enough, Yakumo decided. If something weird happened then it's time to take action no matter how they'll react to it. Sarah, of course, should be noted too, but Yakumo hoped she won't do something much drastic than Harima would do.

After thinking such a complicated issue, Yakumo went back to her chore. She sighed.

_I hope Harima is doing okay._

x-x-x

"Hey Sarah. What is the status of those two at the moment?"

Sarah looked at Miki. She paused eating her lunch and replied, "They seem to be doing fine."

"That's it? Doing fine?" Miki incredulously said. "Yakumo hasn't joined us for lunch for two straight days now! There's has to be some progress!"

"Yakumo would be with us tomorrow." Sarah answered calmly. "I think they're just preparing for his manga."

Miki pouted. "I doubt that is the only reason."

"Why do you want to intrude this much, Miki?" Satsuki asked. "These things take time, you know."

"Oh you're one to talk," scoffed Miki. "Then what's it called when you abruptly confessed to Asou?"

"What?! How did you know that?!"

Miki snickered. "I have my own little secrets too, you know." She ignored the basketball ace pouting angrily and looked at Sarah's direction. "C'mon Sarah, you're their housemate. Spill it, pretty please?"

"I don't think they'll like it if I talk behind their back." Sarah defended.

Miki shrugged and said, "It's not gossiping at all if it's true." Haruna raised an eyebrow in how Miki's mind works.

With a sigh, Sarah gave in and replied, "They don't talk that much at home to be honest. There will be some small talks here and there but nothing serious. I don't think they have done something together outside doing his manga."

"So... nothing happened?" Miki asked her head tilted to one side.

"Well, I think there's progress. You know, Harima actually based one of his characters on her."

"Whoa! You're kidding? That's freaking romantic!"

"Isn't Harima's manga romantic comedy?" Haruna calmly chimed in amid Miki's outbursts.

"I'm still unsure what she is in the manga but I guess it's important if she's talking with him during lunch break. I don't really understand what they're talking about when it comes to his manga. At home, Harima works on his manga most of the time when he's not with Eri."

"Oh, right." Miki quickly remarked. "We still have that "pretty girl" around."

"Please don't do something drastic and dumb, Miki." Satsuki pleaded.

"What? I haven't done anything yet! And what did you mean something 'dumb?" Miki harrumphed and continued, "At least I'm not like you who will give up Asou to Mikoto that easily. You sure put up a fight!" The basketball ace fumed and she nearly strangled the ginger if Haruna didn't stop her first.

"I think... it's just a matter of time." Sarah softly said as she watched the two of her friends fight over who better their respective love lifes.

x-x-x

A week passed and nothing unusual happened to Yakumo's relief. It's now been a month since Harima and Sarah lived in Yakumo's house. There were changes in that span and Yakumo was surprised how time flew by. The only thing that was strange was none of them have spent some time together out for recreation. Harima usually was taken by Eri at any given moment and when he was released, he would just rest the next day. Their activity took the whole day and Harima was dead beat when he returned home.

It was Sunday morning. Yakumo was arranging her uniform for the next week and Sarah was away for her Sunday activities. Harima for once would be free today. It was a rare moment he was given a reprieve by Eri when she somehow had pity on him. It was Harima who told his housemates at dinner yesterday and he was most pleased he would just slouch the next day. He actually slept the whole morning to make up for it. There were still some chores to do, but of course, it won't take long to finish it with the two of them.

As they were eating lunch, Harima looked to Yakumo and asked, "Uhm, Imouto-san?"

Yakumo paused mid-meal and replied, "Yes?"

"Do you have any plans this afternoon?"

Yakumo was quite surprised by his question. "No. Not really." _I actually watch TV most of the time_, she mentally added.

"You know, I haven't visited the zoo for a while now so maybe," Harima paused. He leaned an elbow on the table and looked away from her and continued, "Maybe, if it's alright with you, you can come with me today."

Yakumo was surprised as she stared at her food. _Is he asking me out on a date?_ She quickly rid that thought and replied, "Of course. I would love to. I haven't gone to the zoo recently," _or anywhere for that matter_, "so it would be nice to go out today."

'_Love to?' _Where did that came from?

"You sure? Great!" Harima said exuberantly. "I bet Pyotr misses you. He sometimes escapes the zoo to visit you. I don't know how he does that but I'm sure he'll be happy we'll visit him."

Yakumo's jaw and her chopsticks nearly dropped_. Is he inviting me for the giraffe's sake? Well, it isn't all that bad to go out once in a while._ "It's been a long time since I've seen him. That sounds a great idea. Just... just give me some time to prepare."

"Of course, and I need to wash the dishes first too, you know." Harima said with a smile and laughed.

Yakumo smiled in return and she carried that same smile after she finished her lunch to prepare. Not only she would be with him, it would somehow test her theory with first-hand experience. It's a zoo and he would undoubtedly communicate with the animals there.

_Things are not getting worse but better, _Yakumo thought as she perused a comfortable set of clothes to wear.

_I can't wait._

* * *

**Author's Corner:** Well, this story seems to take a turn. Call Sam and Dean Winchester!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

* * *

Harima waited outside beside his motorcycle. He was wearing his usual leather jacket over a plain white shirt and he was pleased that it felt comfortable enough because the weather was temperate. The cool breeze of spring was still here and he might as well enjoy it while it lasted. Leather jacket is cool looking but it can be uncomfortable as hell when worn on a very hot day.

He looked towards the house that he was now staying in for more than a month already. He would never peg in his life that he would stay in this house - more so that this was the Tsukamoto's. When he first stayed in here, he felt he had gone to heaven and was now living the dream. Waking up to be greeted by Tenma at breakfast? Never.

Every good thing would end someday but he didn't realize that it would be very fleeting.

Harima looked at the pavement that he once found himself sleeping like a maggot. For that blunder, mistaking Yakumo's room for Tenma's, he was beaten senseless by young brats and he was evicted before he even explained his actions to Tenma.

Fate was always like that in his life: giving him a taste of heaven and then kicking him back out to whatever oblivion he came from.

However, fate had been on the move and had given him a change to live again in this very same house at the cost that he had give up the girl he loved the most to his bitter rival.

Or was it really deliberate? It was more of luck if things didn't happen the way it happened. He could still be living with his cousin or he might be living with that Rich Girl or he might just live in the streets. But he ended up here.

Still, with all that happened, he can say that he was... satisfied, relieved even. He can't really compare it to the heavenly feeling he felt the first time but it was way better than the alternatives.

If he still lived with his cousin, he could have gone insane with the amount of sermons (or bullets) he would receive from Itoko every day just to force him to go to school.

If he lived with that Rich Girl, every waking moment would be greeted by an argument and he might end up working there as Nakamura's apprentice just to pay his lodgings. True, he was acting as Eri's "fiancé" but he was not the type of person to feel entitled what wasn't really his. It was just in title and Eri would not take it lightly if he prance the word around recklessly. He's "Kenji Harima" in that house and not "Eri's fiancé." That word now has lost any meaning to him since it was a title rich folks take for granted in the sake of appearance.

This place, however, was different.

Everything was calm and peaceful here. It felt more casual to move around and do his manga. He always felt that way with simplicity and that's a big bonus why he prefer this place. Or was it because of the people he was with? Yakumo can do keep a secret and she now helped him in a lot of ways. He was more open to her knowing she won't tell it to others, even to her own friends. Sarah was also the one who vouched for him to stay here so it's not all that bad. She was a nun who appreciates solitude and tranquility - unlike Tenma who kept testing or questioning him on some weird initiation.

Along those weeks, he was starting to see himself as a father figure or an older brother to those two. Sarah would always joke about how he's like a good housewife but maybe there's a grain of truth in those words. He couldn't help but see them as someone to protect, someone to look after.

Of course, those two were very capable on their own but they're still girls, and it was a man's duty to protect their dignity from any low life who dares to mess with them - more so on Yakumo. The shy girl was pretty much reserved when it comes to boys, that Harima noticed. Any unfortunate fellow would be meeting the devil himself if they dared to mess with her.

Something at the back of his mind tells him that he indeed acted as a father once – only for one of her "daughters" to pin him on the ground with a suplex. He wondered what had happened to those two, especially the one he slapped to shut up. Because of that, he didn't want to slap a girl again in fear of a painful retaliation.

_I wonder what happened to that grumpy girl_, Harima thought.

"I'm sorry Harima if I took so long." Yakumo said emerging from the gate.

"No, that's okay, Imouto-san." Harima looked at Yakumo and he paused. His mind started making comparisons but the evidence was contradictory so he couldn't make something out of it.

_No, definitely not her_, Harima thought with finality.

"Uhm, Harima? Something's wrong?"

"No, no." Harima quickly said. "You just look lovely today." Yakumo was wearing a low collared cerulean shirt over a white polo shirt that pops out the collar and sleeves nicely, and dark blue jeans. There was a purse slung over her shoulder which Harima assumed is a necessity to every girl when going out.

Yakumo slightly bowed and replied softly, "Thank you."

"Well, let's go. Can't keep Pyotr and company waiting?" Harima said as he rode on his bike. Yakumo followed suit and the two went to their destination.

x-x-x

Their ride was uneventful. Well, not for the one at the back seat.

_You just look lovely today._

Yakumo couldn't help a blush form on her cheeks from those words. But how could a person say such things without a hint of admiration? Those words should have popped out from his head right before he even said it. It's not a lie since Harima is not the type to lie in something so trivial, though she did prepare to look presentable. Also, it felt he was thinking something when he was staring at her. He was definitely thinking but it was something she couldn't read.

Or was it because of his powers? That animal mind thing.

If that was the case, then at least it would be incomplete.

But no. It was still like always. Always silent.

Yakumo leaned her head on Harima's back and realized she was now technically hugging him. This wasn't an awkward move to her anymore especially in this situation. She had rode on Harima's motorcycle before when he first asked for her help in his manga. It was because they were seen together in his motorcycle that started this whole misunderstanding.

This gesture to her though reminded her greatly of her father. Her father and Harima were strangely similar. Whenever she would look at him in his room doing his manga while his back was facing her, she could imagine it was her father writing his novels. The two have quite similar physique and stature, and similar occupation to boot. Tenma even mistakenly called him "daddy" in her sleep when she slept between them because Yakumo and Harima were handcuffed together during the walking festival.

She was comfortable with him because of this growing familiarity. Or maybe because she was close to him that she began to see these aspects?

Whatever that was, she was content in this fleeting moment, bringing long lost memories back to life with a simple hug.

The revving engine of the motorcycle and the cool breeze of the wind passed though her senses with surprising calm. The tactile gesture gave her a feeling of comfort and security that she had felt with no one before other than her dad. She could faintly hear his heartbeat and feel the warmth of his body. She felt a connection and she wished that this moment would last forever.

Yakumo tightened her grip and began to close her eyes.

x-x-x

They arrived at the Yagami Zoo. Yakumo was relieved there's few people today. The ticket booth has no line and there isn't many people walking inside the premises. It was much more peaceful here instead of malls or in the city streets. There are no boys who were hunting for girls in this kind of place. It was mostly a place for kids and their parents, friends and... couples.

"Sup, Harima. It's been a while." The employee stationed at the ticket booth greeted them.

"Hey, man." Harima greeted back with a casual wave of a hand. "I haven't visited for a long time. Two tickets."

Yakumo was about to peruse her purse when Harima stopped her. "No, it's okay," he quickly said. "I'm the one who asked, right? So I'll pay for it." He took a few wads of bills from his wallet and handed it to the counter.

She thanked him with an appreciative smile and looked at the employee. As expected, upon making eye contact, thoughts floated out from the man's head.

_'Woah Harima! She's cute! So that's why you're gone, you sly dog!'_

Yakumo resisted the urge to hide behind Harima and so feigned nothing unusual is happening.

As they wrapped their admission ribbon on their wrists, the two entered the premises.

The two went first to the giraffe's pen. It was a low-elevated pen that accomodates the long neck of a giraffe. As soon as they went close to the pen's railings, a giraffe awkwardly galloped towards them.

"Hey, Pyotr! Nice to see you, buddy!" Harima greeted with enthusiasm. He started reaching towards the animal's face but to his surprise, Pyotr drew his head back and snorted.

"Seems he didn't like I haven't seen him for a while." Harima remarked.

Yakumo silently watched the two. There are no strange occurrences happening between them. It looked very normal. Was she even right in the first place?

She went beside Harima and greeted the long necked mammal. "Hello, Pyotr. I miss you."

Pyotr's head lowered and gently stroke her cheek, to her surprise.

"That's new." Harima said in surprise. "Looks like he missed you more than me."

Yakumo began to stroke Pyotr's face in return and replied, "This didn't happen when I first saw him. He actually ran from me and Sarah to pick you up from the bridge."

_Oh, yeah. How could I ever forget that_, Harima thought grimly. "Here Pyotr, you can't just escape whenever you feel like it."

The giraffe kept his distance from Harima, his big black beady eyes half-lidded. Yakumo was in the middle of two and it felt really awkward.

Harima crossed his arms. "So that's how it goes, huh? We'll visit from time to time but remember, no running off again, understood?"

Yakumo blinked a few times. _'We?'_ She thought in confusion - more so when he instructed the giraffe directly.

Harima seemed to notice her reaction and continued, "Uhm if it's alright with you, Imouto-san. If you're not busy, that is."

"It's okay. I... I don't mind at all."

"It's just every other week. Pyotr here might run away if we don't visit him every now and then."

The giraffe nodded much to Yakumo's surprise. For the life of her the animal seemed to understand Harima's instructions.

All of a sudden Pyotr pushed her to Harima's direction. She was still astonished what just transpired earlier– whether it was about Pyotr understanding Harima or she'll be visiting the zoo in a much regular basis with him – that she clumsily fell to her side.

Yakumo bumped into Harima and she quickly balanced herself by clinging onto him. She looked up and both of them stared at each other's eyes. It was like a cheesy setup for some romantic story but Harima seemed not to notice it.

"Woah there, you ok?" he asked, helping her to keep her composure.

"Yes, thank you. He just surprised me." Yakumo replied a little flustered, her head bowed.

"Hey Pyotr! That's rude! Don't do that to Imouto-san again!" Harima scolded the giraffe. In response, Pyotr tried to pry his headband off and Harima shielded his head. There was this weird scuffle between them that managed to make Yakumo stiff a laugh. Those two looked so casual that it wasn't strange anymore.

After spending a couple of minutes with the giraffe and making sure that they would return, they went to the other animals.

Harima has this unique privilege in the zoo that aside from the animal handlers he can get close and personal with the animals there. Most of the animals in the zoo were friendly to humans but, for apparent security reasons, not all animals were given the same treatment of being close to people. He simply said to the employees that Yakumo's a friend and he'll be escorting her around.

As expected, the thoughts of those employees from Yakumo's perspective were about a "date" and how "lucky" Harima was.

After getting authorization, they went first to the gorillas' pen which was closer.

"This here's Igor." Harima said as he touched the gorilla's big shoulder. "He looks very intimidating but he's really nice deep down. He's shy despite his size. Careful there, big fella." He assisted in opening a banana and gave it to the burly animal.

_Just like you_, Yakumo thought with a small smile.

It was a different experience to be with this kind of animal up close. Harima let her touch the gorilla and she had a feeling that the animal was indeed shy because he was avoiding making eye contact.

There seemed to be no spoken communication between Harima and the animals, Yakumo noticed. This was not the result she was expecting. A question perhaps might be necessary.

"How did you know if an animal needs something?" She asked.

Harima handed a fruit to the gorilla and turned to her. "What?"

"Uhm, well, I... I wanted to know how did you know Iori's foot got a thorn last year."

Harima looked up as if thinking. "I simply knew. There are subtle clues an animal shows whenever they needed something. I remember that you tried to bribe him but that doesn't always work."

"Do... do you understand them sometimes?"

"Of course." Yakumo was slightly stunned in such a direct answer. "I guess I've been around them that I started to know their habits and mannerisms."

That's not the answer she was expecting.

"So you're like able to read their minds, right?" Yakumo said with slight humor in her tone.

Harima laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, Imouto-san. I'm not a mind reader like you, you know."

Yakumo stood still, dumbfounded. _Did he still believed that all this time?_

"Let's go now." Harima said. "Igor is starting to feel awkward when people are near him."

Yakumo sighed to her failed attempts. It might be better not to test that theory anymore. It's only making her feel disappointed and dejected.

_It's just ruining our date –_

"Hey Imouto-san? You coming?"

"Y-yes!" Yakumo quickly went in step with him, a blush across her face.

_Date? I should enjoy it even if it's not a real one,_ Yakumo thought while walking.

The next pen they went to was empty. "Hey, Anastasia!" Harima shouted. After a few seconds, a penguin waddled towards them from a cave. It was strange for Yakumo to find such an animal here in the zoo. She once saw penguins when she was in Eri's luxury cruise, which had gone awry after hitting a stray rock.

"Anastasia here is kinda old now but she still looks healthy." Harima said as he stroke the sleek back of the penguin, its flippers wagging like Tenma's pigtails.

Looking at the penguin, Yakumo couldn't help herself think of Akira dressed in a penguin costume. The Christmas trap Akira setup for both her and Sarah (and an unwitting Tenma) was still fresh in her mind. If it not for Harima's help, they'll be stuck there for an indefinite amount of time. Nevertheless, her senior do have a knack for weird mascots whatever the occasion.

As they're walking towards their next destination, Yakumo began to talk. "Harima? I just noticed." Harima glanced at her. "Do you name the animals with Russian names?"

"Russian what?" Harima asked, confused.

"I mean... Pyotr, Igor and Anastasia," she said while pointing to her fingers. "You also have a pet frog named Alexander if i recall?"

Harima's face crunched up in confusion and he scratched his head. "I don't know any foreign names but I do have Alexander." He shrugged. "I just felt like naming them that. I think they like those names."

"Oh."

"So where did you get Iori's name?"

Yakumo blinked. "I just... thought of it."

"See? It's just coincidence."

The animals they meet afterwards was a lion named Caesar and a tigress named Joan. Yakumo pointed out that if he named it to famous leaders, reminding him of his pet pig Napoleon. Again Harima said he didn't have a clue who they are. The coincidences were getting a bit strange but coming from Harima, she might make an exception.

They almost circled the entire premises until they saw a new site they haven't seen before.

"Whoa. Now that's something new." Harima observed. The two looked on the big dome of a structure. It was huge that there were full grown trees and shrubs inside.

"It's says here it's a newly built aviary." Yakumo said reading from a notice. "Since it's still new and it doesn't have many birds yet, there's no fee."

"You know what that means." Harima said walking to the entrance. "Let's go in."

There's no arguing Harima if it was free admission.

As they entered the new aviary, the two could almost immediately hear some chirping of birds and the flapping of wings. There were many bird houses perched from the high and long branching trees. The structure was relatively new so there weren't that many droppings yet to avoid.

Yakumo gazed out to every branch that hosted a bird. They're not that many but they were quite noticeable in their colorful feathers, and the way they look while flying overhead was beautiful.

They arrived at the center most location. There were benches for resting and telescope stands that looked to several directions. They sat on a bench for a quick rest as they have been walking for quite a while now. A few seconds later Yakumo heard several flapping of wings and she gazed up. To her surprise, some birds started circling them. She looked at Harima and to her surprise again, some birds sat on Harima's shoulder and there's even a little red sparrow perched on his outstretched hand.

"Amazing." She said absently. "You're like Saint Francis, Harima."

Harima's face crunched up a confused expression. "What? Who?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Yakumo said sheepishly. "I guess that was what Sarah would say if she's with us."

"So who's he? Is he like a great person or something?"

Yakumo eyed the small bird with wonder in her eyes, "According to Christianity, he's very friendly to animals, birds in particular. The birds usually surround him when he was preaching. He's a patron saint of animals because of that."

Harima became silent for a few seconds and said, "I'm no saint, and I'm not a preachy guy." He put a hand towards Yakumo's shoulder and the sparrow perched on it. "I guess that title suits you more than me, right?"

Yakumo bowed and nudge him gently with her arm. "Hey, I'm not that preachy, am I?"

"Well, I guess Sarah then." Harima laughed.

"She won't take that tease lightly, you know." Yakumo glanced at her shoulder, feeling a little wary. "The first time I met her was when she scared away a stray dog. She really can shout loud."

_I'll agree to that_, Harima inwardly thought with a grin.

They started to feed the birds with the complimentary bird seeds they got upon entering. Harima even let some birds eat directly on his palms. Soon enough, some birds made a small crowd in front of them. An audacious long-tailed sparrow perched on top of Harima's head. Instead of him shooing the bird away, he felt it was normal for him and he simply stayed still.

_A former delinquent who is so peaceful with animals, now that's a sight_, Yakumo thought fondly.

"I think this is the first time I've shown my friends to someone." Harima began talking.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't really have that many friends to begin with."

Yakumo felt a little pity from hearing his words. "How about Akira, Sarah, Shuuji and Ms. Osakabe? They have seen them before, right?"

"They have seen them but the animals stick close to me during that time. They're still wary I think." Harima explained, scattering some birds seeds. "I think they like you, especially Pyotr. I guess they sorta feel comfortable with you around. They usually don't show up at all if someone's with me."

Yakumo looked at the flock of birds pecking away on the ground. "I also have a time befriending Iori. He seemed hostile at first but then he started to become friendly once I got to know him."

"Ain't that applies to everyone." Harima said under his breath absently. Yakumo didn't caught what he's saying and she stared at him. He leaned on the bench and continued, "I don't really have that many friends but I can say you and Sarah are good friends. I can safely say you're my best friend now! That's a lot coming from me!"

It was a bittersweet feeling. Still, Yakumo was glad that Harima himself had disclosed this to her without any pretense. It was a step not a leap, though it's still better than nothing.

Before they left the aviary, Yakumo bid goodbye to the red sparrow perched on her shoulder. It flew away and was gone from sight.

"It seems you have another friend." Harima remarked. "We'll see him again next time."

"Yes, next time." Yakumo softly repeated to herself.

x-x-x

The two went back home not long after. It's late afternoon and the sun was slowly setting. Yakumo was surprised how time went by that Harima reminded her twice that they've now returned home.

Harima slid open the gate and saw Shiba was already waiting for them. The dog sat, his fluffy tail wagging back and forth. Harima went to Shiba and ruffled the dog's head, much to the delight of the big dog. When he looked back, he noticed Yakumo kept a distance from them.

He was about to question her what's wrong until something entered his mind.

_Oh, wait. I got an idea._

"Imouto-san. Could you please wait here for a second?"

Yakumo agreed though confused. Harima quickly went inside the house and when he got back he was carrying a small pouch.

"I've been concerned about this since I first noticed." Harima said. "Imouto-san, are you afraid of dogs?"

Yakumo looked surprised at such a direct question. "Well, I... uh, I'm not that... very fond of them."

"Hey now. It's okay to admit if you're afraid." He took a few steps towards her. "I'll try to help you overcome that."

Yakumo took a step back as she became aware what Harima was planning to. "No, it's okay, Harima. No, really. You don't have to do that." Her voice trembled slightly and Harima noticed it.

He quickly took her hand and said, "You won't get over it until you face it. I'm here to help. That's what friends are for."

_'Friends?'_ That single word took a lot of meaning from her.

"Do you trust me?" Harima asked.

Yakumo nodded. "Of course."

"Then let's get started." Harima put her hand palm up and gave her a bone shaped cookie that passed as a dog's treat. "This is about trust. Here, feed it to Shiba while the treat is still in your hand."

Yakumo's anxiety came back in full force. "What? Isn't that a bit too quick? What if I get bitten?"

Harima smiled in amusement. "I'm not teaching the dog. I'm teaching you, right? Shiba is well trained and will never do that. You must first trust the dog."

Yakumo stretched a trembling hand towards the dog. When the dog came close, she quickly retracted away out of instinct.

"Here, I'll help you." Harima went to Yakumo's side and held her hand - in a half embrace. Yakumo's heart started to beat fast as she was unsure if it was because of Harima or the dog.

"Don't be nervous." Harima chided her. "Dogs feel if you're afraid of them."

Yakumo took a deep breath and she nodded.

While Harima was guiding her hand, Shiba came close and began sniffing it. The dog then began licking her fingers. Yakumo felt revulsion spread to her body as she felt saliva on her hand. She involuntarily closed her eyes.

"Hey. Open your eyes. You're doing great." Harima assured her

Yakumo opened her eyes and saw fangs upon fangs of teeth closing on her hand. She quickly began to tug back her hand but Harima held it tight.

"You're doing fine. Take it easy."

The dog nibbled the treat and soon he finished it.

"That's a big improvement." Harima said. "See? Not that hard, right?"

"Is that all?" Yakumo asked quite uncertain.

"Well, at least Shiba now know you're nice if you're feeding him. First impression, I say."

"Should I feed him again?"

"If you want to. I actually don't know if that method really works. I just thought of it just now."

Yakumo made an uncertain expression that she might have lost a finger in this ordeal. Harima gave her a treat and assisted her once again.

x-x-x

The two sat on the veranda, watching the golden horizon after their impromptu training. It was relaxing to sit here instead of inside the house at this hour that they haven't bothered to enter the house yet. They also walked around the zoo earlier so they were feeling somewhat tired.

"Harima, when did you start to like animals?" Yakumo asked.

"I'm not really sure, though." Harima replied. "They started to like me so I started to like them."

"You told me that before." Yakumo said in a low voice.

"Oh? Really?" Harima replied embarrassed. He put a hand on his chin and started to think. "I remember my parents don't like pets in the house. They always say they are only a burden to take care of, but I disagree. Pets will only be a burden if you let it that way. If you treat it like a proper living being they'll respect you. And with it they don't judge you: what you look like, what talents you have, rich or poor. Give them love and they'll love you in return."

Yakumo just listened quietly. Harima's flashes of insight never cease to amaze her.

"I think I'm close to them is because they don't complicate things. If people would somehow see a person what they truly are and not of outside appearances then I'm sure they'll start to like them."

Somehow, bulls eye. Yakumo continually listened. He had just stated how she had fallen for him. While some people saw him as a scum of society, she saw a different person who had characteristics that most people do not have or simply pretending to.

"Aside from manga, you can be a good animal trainer if you want to." Yakumo said, feeling a little sleepy because of the soothing environment.

"You think so? Well, I guess, but just because they are friendly to me I'll start ordering them around. They're my friends and –"

Harima felt a weight on his shoulder. He looked to his side and saw Yakumo leaning on him. It felt he had been in this situation before.

"Imouto-san, are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." Yakumo softly answered. "I'm just... tired, is all." Her voice trailed and her head lulled.

"Can't blame you. I once slept here without me noticing." Harima glanced at her again and to his surprise she was already asleep. It wasn't the same like she had fainted before and it gave him relief. She simply fell asleep from getting tired.

_She's asleep already? Sarah did say she sleeps at the drop of a hat._

When he noticed Yakumo was starting to slide off towards his back, he quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders to correct her posture.

There was some part of him that feared that she might throw him away or pin him to the ground, but instead Yakumo slept quietly, leaning on his shoulder.

Now that he thought about it, how did she do it? Some girls he knew at school were quite brutes given their hidden physical prowess. Tenma can do an inescapable chokehold; Mikoto is a black belt master on par with Hanai; Eri can deliver a deadly blow that make boys cringe; Karen and Lara are master wrestlers who can lift ten times their weight; and Akira, well, if she did show her true strength, no one would be able to tell the tale. They were more capable that some of their male classmates feared them.

He couldn't see this strange phenomenon on Yakumo, however. She's very reserved and will not try to hurt anyone unless it was really needed. Harima could understand Yakumo fighting back Hanai out of self defense but he wondered why she didn't do this whenever the eager boy was chasing her.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, the fragility of a girl's frame made him overlook those absurd facts. She was still a girl no matter what she can do. Tenma and Eri had slept in this manner before but he felt a gap because he still kept a part of his life from them, especially Tenma recognizing him as "that" pervert.

But to Yakumo, it was noticeably different.

He knew he can say and share things with her that she can keep a secret. She would sometimes go out of her way to protect it, even lying to Tenma once when he asked for her help. He was confident that she won't blackmail him like Itoko does and she won't keep a list of "IOU" like Eri does.

She sometimes asked weird questions like what it means to be steady with someone. He couldn't deprive her of something she wanted to know even though he himself has no clue what he's talking about. It just... came out.

He can't imagine saying these shenanigans to anyone with a straight face. He still has a delinquent image and it was not a question a delinquent like him should answer. But he did answered her question.

_Maybe I should carry her to her room now._

He wanted to do that but for some reason, he wanted to stay like this for a while. It's not because he might disturb her or he might collapse again after putting her in her bed. Currently, he was feeling something he can't understand for the life of him. It's not a bad feeling, he was sure.

He can't put a finger on it. He wasn't overly joyed and heartbroken like with Tenma, or freaked out like with Eri. This time, it felt normal for him. There's no conflicting emotions in his mind and it felt rather relaxing to be this off guard with someone else.

If he can put it into words, he was... at peace. He was confused himself using that term. Maybe it was because he didn't feel awkward with Yakumo's company nor was he trying so hard to gain her attention. Or maybe it was because of her calm nature that was starting to rub on him. He was acting less of a delinquent whenever she's around and he can't say that's a bad thing. Perhaps that was the reason why he answered her question about being steady.

Regardless though, he stayed still for her sake.

The ringing of a wind chime, the cool breeze of the wind and the feeling of peace within him gave him the more reason that he was glad he ended up here instead of any other.

Harima released a deep, contemplative sigh and looked up to the twilight sky.

* * *

**Author's Corner:** This is a very long chapter and I hope I didn't bore someone with this. I don't have any beta readers so it might be longer than necessary (how many times have I complained that, seriously?).

Harima's thoughts are one of the most down-to-earth things to write about. The 3 characters have different styles of thought if you have noticed. It's just you need to read between the lines (or should I say thoughts?) to make sense of the whole picture. The progression seems slow but it will all fit together.

As always, reviews are appreciated. I sometimes re-read them for a boost on motivation.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

* * *

_"Daddy? What are you doing?" a young girl asked._

"_Oh?" the man looked at his side. "I'm making a new character for my next book. Do you want to help?"_

_At this, the little girl nodded happily and raised her arms at him. He put her on his lap and made her look at his drawing._

"_So what do you think?" the man asked._

_The little girl eyes squinted. "He looks funny. He looks like a bean!"_

"_That's what I'm hoping for," the man replied with an embarrassed grin. "For the character to look funny."_

"_But I think he looks sad and alone." After thinking for a few seconds she then perked a question. "Can you give him a balloon?"_

_Slightly surprised at her choice of question he asked, "Why a balloon?"_

"_I don't know," the girl shrugged innocently. "I'm happy whenever you bought me a balloon when we're in the park."_

"_Hmm," the man said contemplatively and nodded a few times. "I think it might work." He then looked at her with an amused smile. "You know, you could be a good assistant someday."_

"_Really?!"_

"_Yes, I'm sure." He put the enthused girl down. "Now go along then. Daddy's going to work now." The girl made a pleading look that broke his heart a little. "Ok, after I'm finished, I'll show and read it to you."_

_The girl's face brightened. "Promise?"_

"_Of course, I promise."_

x-x-x

Yakumo stirred in her sleep. She was feeling very happy at the moment but she could not remember why. She was vaguely aware she was smiling, drifting in and out between waking and dreaming. Contentment blanketed her from reality as though her senses had been dulled to numbness. It was a strange place, but stranger still was she didn't care much.

It was one of the best sleeps she had in recent memory. Sometimes she fell asleep because of headaches or simple fatigue that only rests the body not the mind. This time, she felt safe and secure. No anxiety, no fear of the future, no feeling of loneliness. She never wanted to leave.

Yakumo tried to hang onto this sensation as long as she could but the more she tried, the more it slipped away.

It is no use. She was now awake. Physical senses slowly crawled into her and it reminded her of consciousness. It didn't rob her of the feeling of satisfaction, though she can't remember much of anything. She slowly sat up.

_Sat up? Wait… Where-?_

"Oh good, you're awake." Yakumo heard not that far.

Yakumo sat up, blinking a few times, and saw Sarah sitting on the veranda, reading a small book. She noticed it's already night and she has no idea what exactly time it was. It felt it was a whole new day already.

"Where's... where's Harima?" Yakumo asked, head looking sideways.

_That's the first thing she asked,_ Sarah amusedly thought. "He's in a kitchen, cooking dinner." When she noticed Yakumo's reaction, she continued, "Don't worry. He doesn't want to bother you sleep. Since he didn't cook yesterday, he volunteered for today."

Yakumo made a small appreciative smile and asked again, "How long have I been asleep?"

"I guess an hour or so. When I went back home, you're already asleep. Harima left his jacket as a pillow for you when I watched over you."

Yakumo found that indeed there was a jacket clumped together acting as a pillow substitute. She took it and began to unravel it to avoid making more creases.

"So how's sleeping with him?" Sarah asked casually with a carefree smile.

Yakumo quickly raised the jacket to hide half of her blushing face. "No, it's not like that." She was surprised that Sarah, a nun, had asked her such a question.

"If you say so."

Yakumo stood up. "I'll just return his jacket. Thank you for looking after me, Sarah." She went inside the house, passing by a sleeping Shiba.

Sarah blinked. _What just happened? Yakumo should have circled around the dog, not pass him by. Did I miss something?_

x-x-x

It was Wednesday afternoon. Sarah had just finished doing her homework due for tomorrow. She never wanted to leave such tasks that can be done right away. Mother Superior had taught her that the most valuable time is the present, not later or tomorrow. Everything has its season, but not homework, and it should be done as soon as possible. That's the life in the orphanage.

Sarah went out for fresh air and to observe the afternoon sunset. She can't help but compare the rustic landscape of Japan to the traditional view of England. The two countries were aesthetically different. There were few tall structures in England aside from the stone churches dated back centuries. Cobblestones, brick buildings and aged structures bespoke of the country. One may see England as a modern country but from where she lived, tradition was a proud, inherent part of society.

In Japan, the trees and mountains added to the sun's appeal, coloring with different hues of orange and red. The Tsukamoto residence is a Japanese style house and it made things more aged as they appear to be. It was simple and yet very captivating. She liked this part of Japan for its appreciation in nature and tradition. It was not that different from England in that aspect.

Sarah then gazed to the veranda where she found Yakumo sleeping beside Harima.

It was a surprise to see those two in a rather intimate position. She could have taken a photo to capture that perfect moment, but she didn't expect that when she returned home it would be the first sight she would see. It was almost tempting to bless the two as a couple right then and there. Something had happened between those two but she got the feeling it was not what she thought it was. It wasn't enough.

Harima was still not able to get all these clues. All he said was Yakumo got tired from walking with him in the zoo. It was very obvious to Sarah that it was a date but Harima talked about the animal's welfare instead of the time he had with Yakumo. It's been a long while since she had heard anything about the animals when she first helped Harima hide them. It's just that he could have given more emphasis on his companion than the reason for their "date".

Still, she got to hand it to Yakumo to be so bold to sleep in that manner. It was as she had suspected; Yakumo was starting to get closer to him physically. It was rather an aggressive move but Sarah knew that Yakumo would do it according to her personality, not confirming to any image. Her shy friend wouldn't go so out of her way that she can't be recognized anymore. It'll only freaked Harima out. She guessed that Yakumo would have been surprised herself to her own actions.

If they continued in this pace, they wouldn't even realize they're now in a relationship. It now boils down to Harima how he interprets it.

The road to recovery is to acknowledge the people who are still with you despite the absence of another. Mother Superior had taught her that lesson. Sarah was an orphan who didn't know her parents, but the presence of the people who raised her gave her strength to continue on. It won't completely solve the problem but it would somehow help fill a hole in her heart. Yakumo and Harima had lost someone dear to them when Tenma left to the US. There are no two people who knew the feeling of loneliness they now felt. They could sympathize with one another and maybe they would take that same road together.

This was all speculative, however. It's still up to them (mostly about Harima now) how all of this would end. That's what's tricky about recovery of the heart. There's no strict timetable when they would heal unlike physical injuries than can be estimated by weeks and months. It could be spontaneous or it could take years.

Never had she thought being a matchmaker to be this difficult. She had proudly said it to Yakumo when Tenma was in a class trip and she stayed in her house. If she think about it it's easier to do a wedding straight-out than to go through this whole process.

No, she wouldn't be like Eri who would use such an underhanded tactic to ensnare a man. Yakumo would win his heart fair and square, with a little help from her of course.

Sarah didn't know when but she found herself walking around the house from thinking.

As she was walking, she noticed someone tinkering with their air conditioner. It was weird and she took a few steps to check it out.

On a raised platform was Harima looking intently to the air conditioner like some sort of a repair man. There was an opened toolbox beside him. He looked pretty busy at the moment, engrossed to whatever he was doing.

Sarah resisted the urge to shout out for attention and so she went inside the house to get some answers. She went into the kitchen and saw Yakumo preparing some kind of food.

"Say Yakumo," Sarah said, catching Yakumo's attention. "What's Harima doing on the roof?"

Yakumo thought for a second and replied, "I think he's checking the air conditioner if it's broken again."

Sarah's eye widened. "What?! He can fix that?" she asked, amazed.

"Eh, yes." Yakumo meekly answered. "Last year he fixed our air conditioner. That was when we first met."

"Wow. Harima really sure is handy around." Sarah said absently. "What is that guy can't do?"

Yakumo fidgeted for a bit. "Uhm, he also unclogged the kitchen sink last week. And I once saw him fixing a pipe leak in the laundry room and a faulty light in the front gate."

Sarah's eyes widened once again. "What! He's like an all-around utility man! He can drive, cook and fix things! He's a complete husband package!" Sarah then eyed Yakumo mischievously. "You two are like perfect parents someday! Why don't you two get married so you can adopt me!"

"S-Sarah, I don't think that's how it works." Yakumo said almost pleadingly.

"Oh right. You two need to be hooked up first." Sarah said a twinkle in her eye.

Yakumo was starting to see Sarah as Tenma 2.0 if she continued to be this spontaneous. There's no stopping them if their minds were already set. It'll only make them more determined.

"Hey, is that a rice ball you're making?" Sarah asked.

For some reason or another, both Sarah and Tenma were quite the same that food can divert their attention. "Yes. Do you want some?" Yakumo offered.

"Of course. All that homework makes me hungry." Sarah took a rice ball and began to eat. She settled herself in a chair and continued, "Now that you mention it, how did you and Harima meet?"

Yakumo put a plate of rice balls on the table and sat across Sarah, "It was last summer when he fixed our air conditioner. I was kinda surprised he was employed in that kind of job." _And_ a_lso about not able to read his mind, _Yakumo mentally added.

"Oh? So it wasn't that dramatic then?" Sarah asked with a slight disappointment in her tone.

"Well, umm… I saw him looking depressed so I made some rice balls for him and his companion. He still looked sad but it made him somehow smile while he's eating."

"Ahh. Any man who eats Yakumo's meals will make their sadness go away. So that's why you're preparing rice balls while he's checking the air conditioner. That's pretty clever, even for me." Sarah winked at her last sentence.

Yakumo bowed slightly. Sarah was so intuitive unlike Tenma. "He's doing it without pay this time so… at least I can repay him somehow."

"Did anything else happen when you two met?"

"He helped Iori by plucking a thorn from his paw. I didn't know Iori has something on his foot all along but he seemed to know it all of a sudden. I was surprised myself."

"Harima has a sense on those things. Maybe some people really are born with that kind of intuition."

_Or some psychic powers, perhaps. _Yakumo thought. "Now that I mention it, have you seen –"

"Imouto-san."

The two girls gazed at the source of the voice and saw Harima by the doorway.

"The air conditioner is acting up again." Harima said, pointing a thumb to nowhere in particular. "I'm going to town to buy some parts. Do you need anything there?"

Yakumo started to think what's missing in their groceries. So far, there are no shortages she could think off. Harima has been a great boon in the house's maintenance that their budget never went low due to repairs.

Before she could say anything, Sarah quickly blurted out, "Flowers."

"Flowers?" Harima repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Do you need some flowers, Sarah?" Yakumo was also caught confused.

"Well, kinda. It's a nun thing." Sarah's gaze flicked on Yakumo for a split second and she continued, "I think Yakumo would like some too."

At this, Yakumo began to blush what Sarah was planning. "No, Harima. If it's a bother it's ok-" Yakumo saw Sarah with an expression of '_Be quiet_' and she stopped talking.

Harima put a hand on his chin and he became silent for a few seconds.

_Yes! He's considering it! _Sarah exclaimed in her mind.

"Is there an open flower shop at this hour?" Harima asked. "The shop where I buy flowers from is closed at this hour."

_Drats!_ _I forgot that! _"If you happen to find one then it's okay. We're not in a rush." Sarah replied.

"Ok then. See you two later."

Before he left, Yakumo quickly said, "Uhm, Harima? I've prepared some rice balls; little thanks for all the work you've done lately." Sarah mentally noted to pat Yakumo's shoulder later.

"I'll drive but I guess a single riceball won't be so bad." Harima walked towards the kitchen table as Yakumo showed him a plate of rice balls.

Harima eyed the rice balls. _Good, it's not a square,_ he thought. He doesn't want to eat any rice ball with that strange presentation. How could a rice ball be that hard to prepare? Tenma must have sweaty palms or something.

"Thanks, Imouto-san." He grabbed one and took a bite.

It was very good. _This is the right way to make a perfect rice ball_, Harima thought. _Not too salty nor was it too bland. It still retains its shape after being bitten. _An image of Eri's compromised rice balls comes to mind. The rich blond might have used a high quality grain that isn't suitable for rice ball thus it crumbles upon touch. _Not all the time you can use money to get your way, Rich Girl._

Yakumo stared at Harima, wishing she could read his mind despite how mundane he was actually thinking.

"I don't know how you do it but you make delicious rice balls." Harima said after he finished eating. He half turned around and continued, "I remember it's like the time when we first met. I should be going now. Thanks again, Imouto-san." He raised a hand in a farewell gesture and walked away.

"No problem." Yakumo softly replied, a blush on her cheeks. _He… he remembered._

A revving of an engine started, signaling Harima's departure, and soon enough the roaring sound was gone.

Yakumo felt something patting her shoulder.

"Good work, Yakumo." Sarah said. "Nice save there."

"Why did you say flowers earlier?"

"What's wrong with it? I heard from your sister that Harima has a good sense of flowers. That's something unusual for a boy, you know."

Yakumo had seen the flowers Harima gave to her sister. It was during her birthday and the day... she left. It was quite a bouquet but as usual, his gifts were always overshadowed by Karasuma. The stoic boy's presence alone weighs more than a field of flowers for Tenma.

"He really does surprise me at times." Yakumo admitted.

"So what are you asking before Harima interrupted us?"

"Oh that. I haven't seen Iori today. Have you seen him?"

Sarah took another rice ball. "No, I haven't. I haven't seen him today at all."

"Where do you think he is?"

"Don't worry. He's a cat. Who knows what he wants and where he goes."

"Harima seems to know." Yakumo weakly muttered.

"Pardon?"

Yakumo quickly waved her hands. "No, nothing."

"Yakumo, my sister sense heard "Harima". Don't try to deny it." What the word "sister" pertains to, Yakumo was sure it can be both.

"Uh, well... He did remove a thorn from his paw so maybe he knows how cat thinks. At the zoo, he knows what the animals needed there."

"He did say the animals are doing fine. Wait. Now that you mention it, how did that go? We've been busy at school these few days that I haven't asked you yet."

Yakumo bowed a tint of red in her cheeks. "Nothing… really happened."

"It's not what your face is saying," Sarah scooted near her. "How did your date go? I want all the juicy details, okay?

Yakumo sighed. There's no point hiding it to Sarah once she insisted. She then began to recall their "date". No doubt Sarah would have follow up question every now and then.

"It started when Harima suddenly asked me out…"

Sarah let out a small squeal.

_This could take a while._

x-x-x

Harima stood outside of a hardware store. It was getting dark now and artificial lights were starting to light up. And in Japan, they were too many bright neon lights or anything obnoxious to advertise their businesses. An appliance store was like a beacon of lights, every appliance lighting their own dots of light on and off. There was so much emphasis on outward appearances, and he knew first-hand how vain it really was.

The dazzling lights made him squint his eyes and he somehow missed wearing his sunglasses. Even at night, he was accustomed to wear it. How did he survived with such an impractical eyewear was beyond him.

He really knew the reason how it all started.

Shrugging the thought away, Harima stared at the displayed AC units one by one through a transparent window out of sheer curiosity. There were brand new AC's with more features than the one beside it, and with it, a notch in the price. Harima thought that if Eri ever had a problem in their AC unit, she would most likely buy a new one instead of trying to fix it. And that new one would be the most expensive one.

He didn't like that kind of thinking. It's wasteful, and you won't get any better in maintaining your own house if you'll always leave it to others.

Now that he thought about it, was Eri bad in cooking because she doesn't cook in her own house? That Masaru guy did beat him in a cooking contest, and it was very likely he was their cook. Nakamura seemed to know more what he appears to be and he seems a kind of guy that can cook really well. It makes sense actually. He won't be surprised if the rich heiress was bad in sewing and household chores.

Going back to his real objective, he began to think of what to buy. He needed to replace a faulty capacitor this time. Last year, he fixed a broken fan due to accumulated dust over the years. He can't blame it to the Tsukamoto sisters to not notice it. What he didn't expect was overhearing Tenma saying something bad against him. It was like a dagger pierced his heart and it wiggled around as the words continued to echo inside his mind. Good thing that Yakumo had somehow made the situation bearable for him. It was hard to be sad while eating something delicious.

The spirit is crying but the body is well fed. Nothing wrong with that.

While Harima was thinking of what kind of a capacitor he needed (cursing himself for not bringing a note with him), he was suddenly bumped from behind him forcefully. It took him by surprise and he nearly face-planted the glass window.

"_Look at where you're standing at, asshole._" It was an arrogant, male voice and his tone alone made Harima's blood boil.

Harima's cowlick twitched, an awful aura slowly radiating out of him.

He slowly turned to his side and said in such a deadly tone, "What did you just said to me, punk?" He eyed the unfortunate man beside him so balefully that blood drained from the man's face.

"Hey dude, chill!" the man said. "I didn't say anything!"

"Are you the one who bumped me?" Harima asked, the same tone still carrying.

"No. I was also bump but I didn't hear anyone say anything."

Harima's eyebrows dug deep and he looked around. _What? I swear I heard someone earlier. _He then noticed a girl approaching him and she bowed.

"_I'm very sorry about what he did to you."_ She has a gentle voice, much like that of Yakumo, though it was not so overbearingly polite and hesitant like hers.

Harima blinked and stared at her. The girl was wearing a white long sleeved V-neck wool shirt with a sky blue shirt underneath, the collar buttoned close. She has long dark hair and her looks reminded Harima of Tougo's little sister, Haruna, one of Yakumo's classmates. She was definitely not the one who called him an "asshole" earlier by the looks of it.

"No, it's alright." Harima replied, still confused. "It must be an accident."

The girl bowed once again and she ran off.

"That was weird."

"Sir, is she your girlfriend or something?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S MY GIRLFRIEND?!" Harima exclaimed, clutching and shaking the man by his shirt collar.

"C-calm down, s-sir. I-I just started working here."

Harima stopped. "You're an employee here?"

The man feebly nodded.

"I have a faulty AC unit. Do you have a spare AC capacitor for sale?"

"Yes sir."

Harima beamed with pleasure.

"Sir? Please let me go."

Harima quickly released his grip. "Oh right. Sorry about that." Harima apologized with a faint laugh.

The man regained his composure and led him inside the store. "This way sir."

Harima gazed out once again towards the street.

_I was sure someone…_

With a shrug, he followed the employee towards the store.

x-x-x

_2 days later_

Yakumo was in Harima's room reading the finished manuscript. It was Friday night and Harima was going to whatever destination set to him by Eri. It was now predictable when Eri would show up. Most likely she would show up when Harima has nothing else to do, specifically near weekends or the weekends itself. In this way he was busy all week and whatever free time he gets will be spend on sleeping.

She didn't think this was a deliberate move by Eri. Eri and Harima's outings may be taken as a date in itself but she got a feeling Harima didn't quite enjoy it as it should be. He would mostly complain or has a bad mood the day after. It also didn't help that he would go home very late.

He didn't act like this when he was with her last Sunday. He looked rather lively and rejuvenated when they went home. To be honest, she got tired just by walking around but Harima looked like he didn't get tired at all. He cooked dinner _and_ washed the dishes after. Normally, it wouldn't fall to the one who cooked and yet he insisted that Sarah may be tired from her Sunday activities and Yakumo from going to the zoo with him. It gave her the idea that Harima indirectly favor her company than Eri's.

Their "date" may not be frequent like Eri's but she now spends time with him during lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays to discuss his comic's story. After that, he'll draw the layouts and by Thursday he would ask for her opinion of the overall story and help inking layouts. Friday would be for correcting and re-checking the manuscript so there would be no hassles come Saturday. It was quite a neat schedule for his manga, and Yakumo hoped that Sunday would be their time for themselves, going to the zoo perhaps. That day is the most ideal because Yakumo has no work and Harima recently handed his manuscript while Sarah was away for her church.

She has not complaints about this, unless Eri has something in mind.

The manuscript she was reading was already finished but Yakumo wanted to read his manga for a pastime. It still felt odd reading a story with a character looking like her. She may get accustomed to it like Harima as time goes by. He wasn't bothered at all that the main character looked like him despite the main character sometimes acts in a way that he himself would not admit to do in real life. It was cheesy to look at but Harima has that gentle side that it can be plausible. He might not notice or acknowledge it yet.

His manga tell of his subconscious part even though he told her his manga weren't connected to his life whatsoever. She wondered if that would happen to her as well, that her feelings for him would show in the manga and then...

Now she understood why Harima overreacted when she pointed out if he liked Tenma based on his manga. If Harima did the same, she didn't know if she could hide it anymore. Just like Sarah said, she was bad at lying, though given Harima's obliviousness he might not notice this.

This was all too early to tell. But it wouldn't be too bad if that happened with the way things going now. She continued reading the manuscript with a small but otherwise uplifting smile.

x-x-x

"Tell me, Rich Girl," Harima said breaking the silence. He was with Eri in her limousine going to a particular restaurant in Tokyo. It was more of an ambush again when Eri cornered him after school, though this wasn't strange to him anymore.

"I have a name." Eri cut in.

"I know." Harima answered unperturbed and continued. "You once said this Oyster Bar is from a friend. But being with you for a time now makes me think it's not what I think it is."

"Oh? Do tell?" Eri said with a little admonishment in her tone.

"You said it's from a friend. That raises a flag since I haven't seen you with a friend outside school. It's not really a friend-friend, right?"

A vein throbbed in Eri's head. _What did he mean I don't any friends?_ That made her angry but the fact that it was true and it came from Harima of all idiots made it the more maddening. She should give him more credit for thinking once in a while.

Eri swiped her hair on her shoulder quite sassily in an attempt to recover lost composure and answered, "Yes, you're correct." _Wow. I can't believe I said that._ "It's from one of my father's business colleagues. You also have been one of those restaurants, when you recklessly tried to treat Tenma during her birthday." Eri shot him a sharp look which Harima reacted visibly like he'd been stabbed through the heart. "That expensive restaurant where you brought Tenma to is from Mr. Hayashi, one of my father's business colleagues. I can say his son is pretty dull in a conversation."

_Yeah. I agree,_ Harima thought_. Rich people talk about the dumbest things_. _Wow. I can't believe I agreed with her._

"So is this Oyster bar also his?" Harima asked.

"No. It's from another." Eri shifted in her seat and looked towards the limousine's tinted window. "I know that man won't be coming even to its grand opening so I invited you out back then." The way she spat "that man" suggested a mutual distaste to Harima. He's been with her now that it scared him he started noticing such things.

"Unfortunately we didn't get the chance to eat there so we got invited this time." Eri continued.

Harima crossed his arms and harrumphed. "We all know who to thank for that."

"I said I was sorry!" Eri retorted. "How many times -" She stopped and hung her head low, hands on her lap. She admitted it was her fault. How did she forgot to bring any money was so uncharacteristic of her. She doesn't spend her money frivolously but it was still a necessity. Did her excitement made her forget about it?

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked to her side and saw Harima staring at her. "It's okay. I'm… I'm sorry." Harima apologized. He released his hand and looked away. "I… if I had thought sooner I have my cellphone with me then it wouldn't end so badly. I'm just being a little ungrateful. Sorry for the trouble."

A blush flushed across Eri's face. _Is this Harima? Why won't my heart shut up!_

"But… but it wasn't all that bad." Eri softly said a little flustered. "At least I saw what Tokyo looks like at night. It was my first time."

"A city can be very different at night. Believe me." Harima said sagely, remembering a certain image of Yagami city.

Several seconds passed and no one said anything. It was getting awkward and Eri repeatedly glanced at Harima in the corner of her eyes, somehow wishing he starts talking again. She was still feeling a little giddy because of a sudden rise in heartbeat that she might burst out if she tried to talk.

"So about this Oyster restaurant…" Harima finally said.

Eri sank in disappointment. _Back to that annoying subject. _"Yes. As I said, it's from my father's colleague." Eri said, going back to explanation mode. "I usually represent our family to meet up with the owner or the owner's chosen representative. That's when things get ugly."

"You don't like most of their representatives." Harima noted.

"I don't have any problems with this restaurant's owner. I can say he is a very good gentleman, well respected and revered by my own family. He is a friend, a family friend that is." Eri's eyes then sharpened. "But I can't say the same to his grandson."

Harima listened intently. He knew what kind of people Eri hates. If there's any indication, this man must have been a self-entitled, spoiled, egotistic narcissist who looks down on everybody and rides on the coattails of his family's success and reputation to get what he wants. Harima has little clue who this man is.

"We should tread carefully with that man." Eri said cautiously. "He's very crafty and manipulative and he would use everything in his disposal to discredit us. He's the one who invited us tonight and I bet he'll do something."

Harima remembered seeing Max almost pleading him to stop Eri from her decision. The blonde guy looked desperate and it takes real courage to fight the hand who feeds him. He has no choice and, despite it hurt him deep in his heart, he wanted her to live in happiness. Harima could sympathize with him and he somewhat saw himself to that guy, as much as he hated comparing himself to that weird foreigner.

Eri narrowed her eyes and replied with an edge in her voice, "It's from that man: Shawn."

x-x-x

Yakumo was reading the manuscript but unknown to her, an entity hovered behind her. A young girl looked on but with the way things were, Yakumo can't sense or see her.

The last time the ghost saw her like this was when she was reading a children's book. Despite reminiscing happy memories, there was an emotion of regret and sadness within her. She had just passed an opportunity to be with the man she loved and instead let him be with the girl who he truly loved.

The ghost can't understand why she would do such a thing. She had explained her reasons but it made no sense.

It was preposterous. Tenma had chosen a man for herself and yet this girl insisted to pair her with Harima. Whose happiness was she trying to achieve: Tenma or Harima's? Either way, she was doing it at the cost of her own happiness. If those two ended up, she would endure the rest of her days seeing the man she loved with a different woman, and that woman was her sister. It was easy to penetrate her mind with the emotional damage she was doing to herself.

However, this time was different. It didn't go that way. Yakumo was happy and there's no trace of longingness or sadness dwelling in her heart. This might have been because of him. She was indeed correct that Harima posed a problem when he stayed here, though it gave her the chance to finally meet him and discover his strange gift.

The ghost turned around and gazed back. She can't directly interfere but she won't pass up an opportunity. It still depends on what state they are in in order for her plans to succeed. It was more challenging than she initially thought to get his powers but this girl here would suffice. She nearly succeeded that one time but she was surprised by her reaction.

There would be another chance, she was certain. And this time, she won't fight back.

The young girl closed her eyes and she slowly vanished, waiting for her time to make her next move.

* * *

**Author's Corner: **I was very busy these several weeks. I thought I would not post an update until next year but I managed! I also made this a long chapter than normal because it's the holidays.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my readers. May you never get tired of leaving a review for this story. A review would be a nifty gift for me.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

"Achoo!"

Hario stopped walking and turned around. "Hey, you okay?"

Ya'mo sniffed. "Yes, I'm fine. It's just the weather of this place. It's unusually cold."

Hario caught a falling snowflake with his gauntleted hand. "I've noticed too. I remember this place to be always sunny, but now. Something's wrong here."

Ya'mo observed the dreary cold forest. Everything was covered under a thick blanket of snow and a cold draft passes by with deadly embrace. The weather from neighboring lands weren't like this and they weren't heading north. The change here was immediate since she could notice the trees weren't dry cold and most of the flora and fauna was still thriving albeit barely. A big change in its ecosystem would devastate it since they aren't suited for the cold. Moreover, if there were towns that were affected, people would have been suffering from this sudden tundra.

"This would mean a spell has been casted here to drastically change the land's climate." The mage voiced out. "But to pull such a feat it would require massive amounts of magical source to maintain it, not to mention how broad the range is. This is a force of nature and even I could not – Achoo!"

"Are you okay? I know an inn not that far from here. I know those people and maybe they could explain what happened to this place."

Ya'mo nodded and raised her purple scarf as the two continued their walk.

They got out from the glacial forest and passed through agricultural fields that were rendered useless because of the cold. The people would be in no doubt affected and it angered Hario to who's responsible for this. The low temperature wasn't affecting his determination to stop this anomaly from continuing.

_Someone's got a hell to pay for._

"Look," Hario said, eyes squinting towards the horizon. "I can see the village from here. I wonder if they're –" He then heard a scrunching sound of snow behind him. He turned around and to his surprise he saw Ya'mo fully sprawled on the snow. He quickly went to her and held her on his arms.

"Ya'mo! Ya'mo!" Hario exclaimed.

The girl was breathing in gasps. Her high temperature indicates she was having a high fever. He knew her magic can only heal injuries and not cure sickness. The two afflictions were different and Ya'mo needed to constantly remind him that she isn't a miracle doctor who could always heal him whenever he got injured. Flesh wound she could heal but fatal injuries and diseases were of higher arcane arts that needed specialization. Those were beyond her reach and the situation she was in right now was one of them.

_Why didn't she say it earlier that she was sick? Was she enduring it all this time?_

_Damn! If I have known, I would have never taken this route!_

Hario took her staff and then carried her in his arms, running towards the town.

"Please, Ya'mo. Just hold on."

x-x-x

Shawn. Just the sound of his name made Eri's blood boil. She knew what sort of person he is: handsome and rich. Those two aspects were always a good start for a pompous person and he seemed to never disappoint. Eri was also that, beautiful and rich, but it was those people that made her look bad. Granted, she acted the same way sometimes but Shawn embraced that very nature that he even looked proud of it.

Manipulative and deceptive, he was transferred as a foreign student but he didn't go to school. Only his cronies go there. He was a "special case", given a tutorial at home or make up lessons. Karasuma also has that privilege a year ago because of his illness but he still managed to attend class as much as he can. Shawn on the other hand has no such valid excuse except for a flimsy excuse in the name of business. Eri suspected that Shawn was only here to goof around and to search for another candidate for his collection. He had flirted with Karen of all girls when he had heard good things about the timid girl but athletic girl from Harry McKenzie. And after that failed, he then picked Eri.

The nerve of that guy. He used his family's influence to get information about her. His grandfather has a connection with her father through business. He found out that she was arranged to a marriage once but it didn't materialize. And he came here to finish that job. To make it look presentable, he put up a front that it will be for the betterment of the relationship between their families. Rich people have that sort of mentality. Their offspring should wed to a rich family to retain or amass wealth and prestige. Eri did not like that awful tradition at all.

Fortunately, Eri's mother spared her from that fate and gave her freedom after the botched wedding arrangement a year ago. The only downside was if she wasn't tied to any person then she was in the market, so to speak. Shawn used that to get to her and the only way she could think of escaping his grasp was to find a man.

And the man she picked was Harima.

Despite how frustrating and galling it may sound, Harima was the perfect candidate for the job. It wouldn't work if it was any other man. They would instantly agree because at stake was a beautiful fiancé and an inherited wealth if it went through. It would be another Shawn all over again. But it wasn't the same with Harima.

Harima was unique among all the boys she had encountered so far. He wasn't fazed or blinded by fame, wealth and charm. He only agreed because he wants to "repay" his debt from opening his eyes when he was sliding back to being a delinquent.

She should have slapped him many times before if that was the case.

However, she didn't inform him that he was now practically representing her ill father. Since her father couldn't attend the meetings himself, Harima would stand in his place for the Sawachika family. In effect, Harima was now the de facto owner of her family's business. Still, he didn't ask nor wonder what he's here for. He didn't use his title whatsoever and he asked only what few things entered his mind, such as knowing this particular restaurant. He didn't become awestruck or drooled in the face of luxury. Sometimes, he looked distant and unassuming.

Why he was so different in her eyes was beyond her understanding. He was the only boy who confessed with such heart, sincerity and tenacity. She would have automatically rejected him, but for some reason or another, she didn't do it out of reflex. Right there she knew he has something that most boys didn't have: conviction. He confessed in his sorry state and didn't even bother to sweet talk or impress her first. Instead, he grabbed her hand and mightily confessed - in public, no less. Sure it was a mistake but that made her rethink for the first time in her life to consider a guy's confession.

That was a very straightforward move. It left an impact on her and for days it stuck in her mind. It also didn't help that he once lectured her that she shouldn't be so harsh towards a boy's confession, reminding her that boys would do everything for a girl's attention.

Adding his words and his own confession, it resounded. It stood up that he was unique among all the boys she knew. The fact that despite the rumors he was romantically linked with her, he seemed annoyed at it instead of being proud. Beauty and wealth has nothing to do with this man and that realization made her see him in a different light – in both positive and negative.

In all the awkward and infuriating interactions they have at the beginning, he made her feel… inadequate, like something was wrong in her for him not to notice her. What did she lack on what a boy wants in a girl? It was demeaning and yet this made her realize the positives in him.

Beauty and wealth has nothing to do with this man. And with it, he saw her as a normal high school girl, not the sole, beautiful daughter of a rich family. She didn't have to conform to any image concerning him. She can act the hell she wanted around him without any pretense, be it kicking, kneeing, slapping or punching him, she didn't care. They argued and smack talked all the time but to think about, when did she have so lively a conversation with someone outside her female friends? And when did she become so open and eager to be with a man other than her workaholic father?

It was this that she realized what she like to a boy: to treat her like what she really is, not for what she was already born with. He was different alright and, she might not admit this all her life, he might be what she wants to be with.

But as all things worthy and eye catching it must be taken with effort and determination. She can buy all things with a tag price but not like this. Fate won't simply hand it to her that easily.

To crack this man out of his shell would be a feat. It was now a challenge, and Eri doesn't back down to any challenges. His heart was as stubborn as hers but knowing what kind of heart he has was an advantage. She knew the workings of how to soften that kind of heart.

Tough love, just like the time she slapped the hell of out of him. It momentarily pushed him out of his comfort zone and he finally acknowledged her. A little push here and there and he'll find out that they were the same deep down. Her activities were the sort of things that would need her to order him around. A bit pushy and bossy but that was what a hard headed person like Harima needed: a strong, invincible will to demolish the wall around his stubborn heart.

It wouldn't be that hard to Eri given her fighter nature but some perfect girl managed to get involved that it got so complicated: Yakumo Tsukamoto, the younger sister of Tenma.

Even before, Eri had seen potential in this girl. She was beautiful and has that image of a perfect girl. She takes care of everything house related without depending on anyone. Knowing Tenma and her clumsy way of life, it was remarkable that Yakumo, the younger of the two, could shoulder all the responsibility without getting mad at her older sister every day. She was definitely a girl born to be a housewife. Despite being hounded by boys, she was naive of her popularity. Eri had always rejected offers quickly as a sign not to mess with her, but to Yakumo she skirts it off calmly.

What was she trying to pull? Eri wasn't like her who would leave a door slightly open, giving them false hopes. Hanai in particular was a beaming example. Eri would have told him to scram and it would be over but Yakumo puts it off like she wanted that boy to suffer longer. He wouldn't go to great stupidity if he knew firsthand it would be all in vain. If she thought about it, it was far worse than flatly reject them first.

And then she got involved with Harima.

At first, Eri thought Yakumo was only in the crossfire. She was Tenma's sister after all and Harima would undoubtedly befriend her first to gain better rapport with Tenma. The shy girl even admitted that she was not dating Harima during the culture festival. But it escalated to the point that Yakumo showed signs of interest to Harima as time goes by.

The rumor about Harima and Mikoto going out was false and Eri deeply regretted how it nearly ruined their friendship. It happened with Tenma too. Granted, she was slapped by her little sister like some sort of divine punishment or sibling vengeance but Tenma saved their friendship the day after. The older Tsukamoto didn't give up from making amends even if she didn't do anything deliberately that merited a cold shoulder. Eri was ashamed of herself and she thought that it was silly of her to put their friendship on the line due to jealousy.

All of this was NOT the same with Yakumo. She wasn't that best of friends with her. She was cool with her in the past but she got herself involved. It looked very dubious how Yakumo was not bothered to be with Harima and yet she's very uneasy with other boys and even actively escapes from them. The highpoint of it was when the two were somehow handcuffed together during the walking festival. The sight of the two acting nothing's wrong was very hell-raising. Eri felt she was slapped again after seeing those two _almost_ kissed. Yakumo was no longer in the sidelines and she became a real tangible threat. If that wasn't enough, Harima was now living with her! Eri didn't expect that move. If she knew about it then she would have had accepted Harima to stay at her house first before Yakumo did it.

But oh, she had to do it. How could Yakumo let an engaged man, _her fiancé_, to stay at her house?! The audacity of that girl and making it look like she's doing it out of charity thus making Eri look bad.

This was a war begging to happen.

That… tramp Yakumo would never stand a chance. Those two are never meant to be together. How did those two got along in the first place? Yakumo was too soft and timid that it overshadowed her "perfect image." Harima needed someone who is strong willed and not easily swayed, one who would fight tooth and nail for him. Would Yakumo go that far? Eri doubted that. She had shown to Harima that she was that kind of woman in their past activities. Yakumo would have waited first for the apocalypse before doing something. She was everything Yakumo lacked and it's only a matter of time before Harima noticed it.

Eri would win this war. She was never in this situation before and she truly believed that many boys are fighting for her behind her back, but this was ridiculous. The price isn't much but she would win.

Attacking first would look like the desperate side. She would bide her time and before the war starts, it's already over.

Eri felt the limousine stop. _This is it._ "We're here."

"I know." Harima replied flatly.

"Remember, just like I told you."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Let's go."

They went out of the limousine. Eri wrapped an arm around Harima's arm as was their custom and they started to walk. She put up a practiced smile.

_This war is already over._

x-x-x

"_Hey sis, what are you doing?"_

"_I'm making a snow bunny!"_

"_A... snow bunny?"_

"_Yeah! You clump this snow like this and put small stones for eyes and then leaves for ears, and tadah! You have a snow bunny!"_

"_They're cute, but sis, we have to go back now. We'll get in trouble if the palace guards find us outside."_

"_HMPH! But everything is so fluffy and cold and white and shiny!"_

"_We've taken enough time. Let's go. I can... sense someone approaching."_

"_Your hunches are usually right so... maybe next time?"_

"_Of course, next – ACHOO!"_

"_Hey, you okay? Are you sick?"_

"_Don't worry about me, sis. I can – ACHOO!"_

"_Hey! Who goes there? Stop, you little rascals!"_

"_Run, Ya'mo! I don't wanna be caught by that grumpy guard again!"_

x-x-x

Ya'mo slowly opened her dreary eyes. Her vision was blurry and her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. She started to get up but someone stopped her.

"Hey now. Don't push yourself too hard."

She lay down as her vision went wild making her nauseous. This feeling was excruciating that she wanted to vomit and be done with it. A hand then touched her forehead and she looked up. Hario was sitting beside her. There were other people around the room that she could sense but in her weak state she could barely make it out.

"Take it easy. I'm here." Hario said comfortingly.

_His hand... It's so warm._ "What happened?" the mage asked.

Hario took off his hand from her forehead. "You collapse on the way to the town. Good thing the villagers are generous to lend their help."

"Hario here once drove the bandits out before," an elderly man said, "though he did so because they mocked him for being a knight. Also, in these dire times, helping each other is the only way to survive." Ya'mo smiled at his direction in a thankful gesture and the old man discretely nodded.

"It doesn't matter anyway since it's my fault the village fell in a bigger hole than before." Hario said rather dejected.

"Don't blame yourself over this, young man." the elderly man responded.

"What... do you mean?" Ya'mo asked weakly.

"The one who caused this is one of the Fallen Elites of the Dark Lord." The elderly man answered. "Their group is now disbanded but there are still among them who harbors resentment, and it was this hate that fueled them to continue their ways. The Dark Lord is no more so this let them do whatever they pleases. There's one that recently arrived here. She's a witch well versed in manipulating weather. At first we were reluctant to let you in to our village but Hario insisted you're a mage. I know the differences of the two so do not worry."

Hario stood up and grasped his sword. "Just stay here and rest. I'll take care of this."

"But... you can't do it... by yourself." Yakumo feebly answered.

The knight crouched once again on one knee and replied, "Don't worry about it. Trust me, okay? Stay put and rest. I won't be long." He stood up and went out of the room.

The elderly man's gaze followed the leaving knight. "Such a noble young man," he said, a smile making wrinkles in his cheeks. He stared back to the bed and continued, "You have yourself such a nice boyfriend, young lady."

"No, it's not like-"

"Come on, people. Give the girl some privacy. We still have things to do around the village. I heard that knight's growling stomach when he left and I'm sure he's finding food first before doing anything else."

As the people left the room, Ya'mo's face got red, wasn't sure if it was about her fever or about the old man's words.

X-X-X

"Oh, you must be Kenji." Shawn said upon seeing Eri and Harima. There was a small crowd watching around them which have also been greeted by Shawn earlier. "I guess it's Harima Kenji since we're in Japan. I have a friend who has a similar sounding name, though he's more sophisticated and handsome." A soft laugh echoed throughout the crowd. Eri didn't find it funny at all.

"Glad to finally meet your acquaintance." Shawn continued and extended a hand to Harima. Eri eyed his manicured hand and she wanted nothing in this world but to slap it away. Of course, she was guarding her expression to not make it obvious. Harima was also looking at it and his face was also unreadable.

Harima took Shawn's hand and shook it, "It's nice to meet you too, Shawn. I haven't seen you in school at least once. You must be a busy man."

Shawn was taken aback. He retracted his hand and replied, "Yes, I'm here to manage some of my grandfather's businesses. School is only secondary."

"I'm sure that is the case." Harima quickly replied. "I heard that you didn't attend this restaurant's grand opening last year. Is that true?" At this, whispers began in the crowd. Eri was fighting a smirk to form on her lips. Harima was doing a rather good job following her instructions.

"Ah yes, that." Shawn said rather lamely. "My attendant didn't inform me when. I fired him after."

"Oh, I nearly forgot. Thank you for inviting me and my fiancé in your restaurant. Could we come in now?"

"Yes, of course." Shawn said as he made way for the two.

Harima bowed in modesty and the two walked passed Shawn who looked like he was at the bad end of a conversation.

When Eri and Harima were now in their respective seats, Eri couldn't help herself but to talk to Harima. "You controlled the conversation and you made himlook like a chauffeur. That's good."

"I only did what you told me to." Harima demurred.

"No. In this line of work, presentation is everything. Simply doing it isn't enough. You did great earlier."

"Huh? A compliment? Well I do learn from the best. From you, I mean."

_He called me best!_ Eri victoriously said in her mind. _Ha! Take that, Yakumo!_

"Don't just get cocky." Eri replied flatly though she was inwardly happy. "This is just the beginning. We're still not out of the woods yet. Just remember what I told you earlier and this would end smoothly – not for Shawn, of course. "

"Gladly."

The evening went beyond Eri's expectations. Shawn was always put in his place and whatever rebuttal he managed to do were followed by trapping him in his words on what he previously said. It almost looked pitiful on how he looked cornered by his own mouth and Harima took full advantage of it. One was Shawn apparently demeaning him for being a manga artist but Harima maneuvered the conversation to his art references by talking about Japan's famous local artists and then to foreign artists like what he saw during a museum exhibit. That stay on that boring art gallery finally bore fruit.

This of course Shawn remotely knew one bit and he remained totally clueless what Harima was talking about. He's not really into arts and fashion or whatever it was as long as it looks good in his eyes.

People around them saw how "aficionado" Eri's fiancé was to fine arts and it raised their view of him. When it was Shawn's turn to share what he knew in the field of art, he simply cannot since he doesn't know what to share. He only changed topic altogether which made him lose credibility further by how ignorant he was.

The dinner went well than expected and Harima had been more than eager to finally taste that oyster he'd been waiting for what felt like a lifetime ago. Eri felt happy for him and she took this as a reward for him for doing such a fantastic job earlier.

In their drive home, they were in Tokyo and their ride back would take hours to get back to Yagami city. So in this span, Eri had leaned on Harima's shoulder for a quick-shut eye. He didn't nudge back nor push her away as he too was relieved that the night was over. Even the most hardened of delinquents could fall prey to sleep with a belly full of delicious food and a soothing environment late at night. The two slept side by side and the last thought of Eri before she falls asleep was…

_This war is already over._

* * *

**Author's Corner:** BY the gods. I haven't updated this in 3 months?! I'm terribly sorry. I was hooked by the OPM hype train and I started to write an OPM fanfic that I somehow forgot all about this.

Now to answer some reviews:

_**ConanTheCimmerian:**_ Harima's manga would sometimes be in a random chapter. I forgot to tell in the PM. I already make a subtle reference about it. Yakumo did say she would read Harima's new manga as a past time and so far she have read it twice – and those have been revealed like a story. So yeah. It would be like an omake of sorts in the future, I guess?

_**Jhonka75:**_ The flashbacks, as redundant as they seemed to be, were not only there just to lengthen a chapter. It's also for my sake whenever I read a chapter, and it helps me explore their characteristics and motives. Just like in this chapter, it anchors the reader (myself included) on Eri's side because we get to know it personally instead of assuming we all know how Eri's mind works already. I can't say if this is the desired effect to every reader but that's just how I approach it.

_**Paucius:**_ I'll try to link the story to the current lore of School Rumble as much as I can. There would be tons of references to the manga and anime that would be in this story. Nostalgic, isn't it? As for the Tsukamoto's father, I do say he is quite important if Yakumo is concerned. It would be a waste not to include him, especially in Yakumo's POV.

_**RandomReview:**_ Well, the competition here is mostly on their minds. Remember, Harima was also like this when it comes to Tenma as he thought of outrageous assumptions. School Rumble is like that and that's why misunderstandings abound in the series. It's quite the same for Eri and Yakumo as they too are very privy of their thoughts much like Harima. I guess Sarah too as she is in Yakumo's side.

I do hope I'll update again soon. Rest assured dear readers, I haven't abandoned this. It may looked like it but I'll try my best to finish this. I did say multiple times now that this has a definite ending. One note: I would be updating all the chapters to correct mistakes like grammar or spelling. The story would still be the same so readers wont be missing much from the story clean-up.

As always, reviews are appreciated, no matter how short or long they may be! It would still be very appreciated!


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

* * *

Yakumo put down the manuscript she had been reading. Whenever a chapter ended she always wondered what would happen next. Granted, she was a co-author with Harima but she left the overall story to him. She only added some parts that would develop her own character. There was a certain part she suggested that her character needed proof that indeed she was Princess Ten Ten's sister. A flashback sequence showed in the chapter was actually based on her childhood experience when she was sick. Also, she added the part when she became sick and Harima needed to take care of her at the same time. This made Ya'mo to appear vulnerable as opposed to the previous chapter that she was quite invincible on paper. Ya'mo was still getting used to this after her life of exile so she's still keeping some things like her health from Hario. They needed to depend on one another and with these little incidents their trust on one another would grow.

Of course, there's some occasional tease of romance. It was a misunderstanding as always but Yakumo could not help imagine that they're actually writing their own stories down except in a fantasy setting. Now she understood why Harima used real life scenarios as a basis for his stories. It felt genuine and he doesn't have to think deep for inspiration. He lived in those moments himself and he fully understood what the character was going through. With it, Yakumo felt the character's sincerity, a connection that made her empathize with the character.

It was a crucial factor for readability, Yakumo noted in the time she had been reading manga. A reader won't turn a page if they don't feel connected at some way. Now that her character was in the story, would readers empathize with her as well? At the back of her mind she hoped so. She had inwardly wished that the two main characters would be paired but it presented an obvious dilemma. To think about it though, wasn't real life like that? Harima's stories were mostly unrequited love and it was not far it would be the theme of the story. Her character would present the other side, the one who was ignored but was always there, waiting, hoping.

She really could sympathize with Ya'mo after thinking that conclusion. It was rather sad to think about but she guessed that would be the emotional hold to the reader. Perhaps that would be the page turner of their manga and the connection she yearned for.

Putting back the manuscript back in its envelope, Yakumo set it down on a desk. All these reflections after reading were quite common now. She was Harima's assistant after all and he needed her feedback.

Yakumo stretched her arms. No doubt, she took time than intended. It was late at night now probably and Harima still haven't come back yet. She didn't want to intrude in matters that don't concern her but she can't help but worry. He's with Eri, and Yakumo felt a slight pang of jealousy where the blonde could just take him away whenever she wanted; to go to places where Yakumo couldn't afford nor give Harima the chance of a luxurious life, not that she wanted any of it.

Never did she dream any of it nor did she want to have that regal life. It was enough for her if she could see Harima smile, laugh and to work alongside him no matter how simple it may looked like. Just to see him be inspired was worth more than money could ever grant.

x-x-x

The following day Harima had come back home really late again. What Yakumo noticed was that he wasn't in a bad mood nor complained much. If anything else, he seemed happy. He did talk about it when they were having dinner that day, remembering the time when he and Eri went to Tokyo for a family restaurant during winter last year. They got stuck due to a storm and had to wait for help to get home. This time, however, things went well that even he was surprised. It was then that Yakumo remembered it was the same time when Tenma stayed at Eri's – outside her house. She didn't like how things went after that.

Seeing him this cheerful though was a bit strange that even Sarah noticed it. So it had come to the point that he was starting to be comfortable with Eri. Yakumo didn't expect him to have such a miserable time with Eri as that would just be plain rude. At the outside, the two always quarreled and argued with each other but Yakumo knew those two are good people deep down. They simply have a hard time showing their feelings to people and thus masked it by showing the opposite. Still, they aren't afraid to put their hearts in their sleeves in whatever they do. That Yakumo had always sees in her sister as quite admirable.

It's Sunday now and Yakumo had been mulling things how she would spend the day. Last week she and Harima went to the zoo but Harima did say they would visit it for every 2 weeks. She would have to wait for another week to spend time with him again. Should she ask him or should she wait for him to ask her first like last time? It also didn't help at all that she doesn't have a clue what to do if she'll ask him out.

This was eating her up the whole morning as they did their respective chores.

It was early afternoon and Harima was cleaning his motorcycle. Yakumo couldn't possibly disturb him if he's this busy. By mid-afternoon Yakumo simply watched TV that was mostly filled with re-runs. She sighed to herself how the day was ending.

In the middle of watching a certain soap opera, Yakumo heard someone calling out to her.

"Imouto-san?"

"Y-yes?" Yakumo answered rather quickly, a bit excited than intended.

"I'm taking Shiba out for a walk." Harima said. "Remember last week when you fed him? It'd be good for you if you'll come with us today."

Yakumo was in a loss of words. This was not the type of activity she was expecting. Well, she can't complain though now that the opportunity was here.

"Ah, yes. It's fine." Yakumo managed to reply. "I'm not doing anything in particular."

"Ok, Imouto-san. This will be just a stroll so you don't need to bring anything. We're just outside if you're ready, okay?"

"Sure. I'll be there." The truth was that Yakumo was more than ready.

A few moments later, Yakumo, with new set of clothes, went outside and saw Harima and Shiba waiting. Harima was adjusting the leash on Shiba's neck to check if it was too tight or not as the dog waited with tails wagging, evidently excited. Yakumo had never been in a stroll with a dog before due to her fear of dogs but Harima would be with her so it's not all that bad.

When Harima saw Yakumo approaching, he stood up and explained what route they'll take. They would circle around by going first to the banks of Yagami river and then to the Yagami Shrine. Both places were of walking distance near the residence so it won't take that long. It was also a route Yakumo knew too well since she often pass by there.

What wondered Yakumo was would this be like the last time? She had to admit she did enjoyed their time together last week and she felt that she was getting closer to him by getting to know him more. If that was what going steady was supposed to be then what he said to her about it before was true. It was those little moments that made her understand him in a deeper level and no one could ever take away that from her.

After closing the gate, the three started their walk.

x-x-x

The walk was relatively pleasant as there's few people were walking in the streets. Harima was holding Shiba's leash with his right hand while Yakumo walked beside him. They'll stop from time to time whenever Shiba found something interesting with his nose and start sniffing around. Yakumo guessed that this was what walking the dog out would be most of the time. She'll watch Shiba sniff something, pee on it, and then move on. Harima did explain it to her that dogs can be territorial and they needed to be familiar with their environment, hence their walk. It isn't just what Yakumo expected that they'll see from time to time.

They arrived at the banks of Yagami river after a few minutes. The gurgling of the waters and the cool breeze were calming as they continued their walk. Yakumo had been here multiple times but the pleasant feeling the ambiance produced was what she liked the most. There were a lot of memories concerning this place - embarrassing ones included.

As they walked, Harima started talking, "Imouto-san, do you saw the news from last year about Yagami river containing some animals popping in and out?"

"Uh, yeah." Yakumo meekly answered. There would always be news like that once in a while. An urban legend about water imps, perhaps.

"That was strange, huh? I find it hard to believe that some kids saw a seal of all things here. A full grown seal spotted in a river. It was named Yaga the seal by the news. It suddenly vanished though after some kids saw it eating a girl. That was like… really odd. Seals don't do that."

Yakumo stopped walking. She remembered that incident very well because she was the one who indirectly instigated it. Her heart started to pound heavily as she remembered it.

Harima noticed this and he turned around. "Hey Imouto-san, you okay?"

Yakumo was contemplating to tell Harima about the whole story. No one but herself knew her secret identity to be the seal in the news. How could people mistake her as one even if she was dressed in a seal costume? That was all just an accident because in her line of work, she sometimes dresses costumes according to the café owner's liking.

"Wait, Imouto-san." Harima said. "I know what you're thinking."

At this, Yakumo reeled in surprise. _Did… did he already knew?_

"You stopped because you want to search for that missing seal, am I right?" Harima said. Yakumo blinked a couple times as she processed Harima's words.

"I'm also worried about it so let's go find him." Harima continued. "Maybe he's just around the corner. I'll let Shiba sniff around and maybe he can find something unusual here. This would be like a hunt but we'll be rescuing him."

Yakumo was starting to realize what Harima was planning to. "No, Harima. It's no use." Yakumo said. "It's been almost a year now." Indeed it was no use since they'll only be looking for a seal that don't exist.

"We might as well try, Imouto-san." Harima insisted. "That seal would be safer if we put him in its natural habitat. A river's no place for a seal." He turned to Shiba and said, "Alright, Shiba. Go search for something strange in this river. I'm counting on you, okay?" Shiba barked as if affirming to his command.

As Harima began to walk, he felt a tugging on his shirt. He turned to his side and saw Yakumo holding him by the sleeve.

"What's wrong, Imouto-san?" he asked.

Yakumo was really thinking if she should spill the beans already. Would Harima believe her in the first place? She took a deep breath and said, "Harima, we won't be able find him whatever we do. It is because…"

"We'll just try. Besides, Shiba likes this kind of activity and –"

"I'm Yaga the seal." Yakumo cut in, finishing her previous sentence.

A heavy silence hung between them that even Shiba became silent. Yakumo instantly regretted her decision in how tactless she did it.

"I know it's hard to believe but," continued Yakumo. "I was working at the café and I fell asleep here and then –"

"Now that makes sense." Harima said, putting a curled fist on his palm. Yakumo looked up to him confused.

"You fell asleep here while in a seal costume. From far away, the kids might have seen you as a real seal instead of just in a costume. When they saw the seal eating some girl, it was just you wearing the said costume." Harima explained. "Huh. Never would have thought of that."

Yakumo blinked multiple times again. Harima had just explained the incident point by point.

"So that's why you said we won't find him." Harima continued. "I do sometimes see you in an animal costume in the café. I think one time I saw you in a bunny costume. It must be hard on you with people staring at you while you're wearing a mascot outfit. Must be uncomfortable."

"Yes, you're right." Yakumo finally said. "The incident was just a huge misunderstanding."

"Now that I remembered it, I was also been mistaken as a water imp by your sister here."

Yakumo's eyebrow knitted. "What?"

Harima scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "Well, it was when I saved Iori from drowning here. I saved him and brought him to your sister – and she mistook me as a water imp. I guess it's because of my hairstyle at the time. Can't blame her though."

Yakumo knew Harima had rescued Iori once but he never told her this part before.

"We are like the same, right?" Harima said. "Mistaken identities with this river."

"…Yeah." Yakumo said with a small smile and nodded.

"You're feeling alright now?" Harima asked. "It's good to share stories with other people you really trust. It felt somehow light. Just don't tell anyone I'm the water imp and I won't tell you're Yaga the seal. Deal?"

Yakumo giggled a little. "Sure. It's a deal."

"Now that's over with, let's continue our walk." Harima said.

Yakumo nodded and they walked once more.

"Uh, Imouto-san?"

"Yes?"

"You can take your hand off my sleeve now."

Yakumo quickly removed her hand. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't notice."

"It's alright. Well, next is the Yagami Shrine. It has a long stairs and I hope Shiba and I can trek all the way up."

_Yagami Shrine,_ Yakumo thought. She has many memories in that place and she wondered what Harima has too. She learned some new things from him so far in their walk. Honestly, Harima took her secret graciously that she thought. He did share his secret about his manga to her and by this she should be more open to him in return.

x-x-x

After their long trek up the stairs of the Yagami shrine, the two took a break and sat on the wooden floor of the shrine. It was evident that Shiba took the most beating in this walk as he slumped automatically on the ground and took a nap.

Harima stared at the tired dog and said, "You know, Imouto-san, this is where Shiba and I first met."

Yakumo simply listened and replied, "This is where Iori and I first met too. He has a scar on his forehead so I thought that I should take care of him."

Harima chuckled. "You really are a good person, Imouto-san. Well, when Shiba and I first met I was the one badly injured."

"You're… injured?" Yakumo said in concern.

"Yeah." Harima breathed out. "After your sister left, I don't know what the hell I was doing. I started getting into fights again and somehow I ended up here." He sighed and continued. "As my luck would have it, I saw someone walking Shiba in this place. To my surprise it was Rich Girl of all people."

Harima weakly laughed but Yakumo never found it comforting. "She tried to mend my wounds but I stubbornly refused. I thought she was only doing it out of mercy to my pathetic self. I started calling her names when instead of helping me she started slapped me several times. I'm hurt and she slapped me to add to it."

"She slapped you?" Yakumo said quite in disbelief. She knew Eri had always been rough on Harima on multiple occasions before. But hearing this from him, a fist formed involuntarily on Yakumo's hand. Hurting her love ones was one thing that she doesn't tolerate.

"That girl really has an arm to slap people with." Harima said, rubbing his cheek. "Still, she said something that opened my eyes. I was a fool to think I was the only one going through all this. Apparently, I've been a little selfish and reckless for my own good. Well, for all her hurtful slaps, at least it made me think again." Harima finished with a grin.

Yakumo doesn't count on physical violence to prove a point but that one time she slapped Eri may perhaps have the same effect like the one with Harima. It made them think twice to what they're doing – including her. Yakumo had been slapped before when she was a child because she was shouting at her older sister during one Christmas night.

"It turned okay from both sides, though." Harima said. "I'm trying to help Rich Girl from her engagement in return for helping me. At least that's got to be something."

Now Yakumo knew why Harima was involved in Eri's engagement. It was simply out of gratitude and nothing else.

"That's what I will first remember in this place." Harima said, looking up. The time when he became a fortune teller doesn't count. He's way passed over it by now.

"Well, Iori and I first met in this place but we didn't get along instantly." Yakumo said, sharing her story. "Even if I offered him food, he doesn't come up. I thought that because of his scar, maybe he's scared of humans."

"Tsk. People who hurt animals for fun are worth less than trash." Harima muttered.

"He might have a rough experience. And one night, I saw him up on a broken branch of a tree. I caught him when the branch broke and that was when he started to get close to me."

"So we both saved that cat at least once, huh? That cat should have 7 lives now." Harima said with a laugh.

Yakumo found herself smiling with his joke. "Iori always like to go here. It's cool during the afternoon and at one time, I slept in here."

Harima's cowlick twitched. "What? You once slept in here?" he asked incredulously.

"Uh, yeah." Yakumo answered. "It was during the summer last year and it was cool here."

"Imouto-san," Harima said slightly serious. "I know you can handle yourself but there might be some weirdos wandering around here. It's also not good for you to sleep anywhere - beside the river, no less."

"I know but –"

"I'm just thinking of your safety here, okay? Whenever you went home after work, you always look tired and weary. Is your work in the café giving you a hard time?"

"It's not like that." Yakumo replied. "The owner is a very considerate person and will not let me dress something inappropriate. It's just that sometimes the dress codes can be quite cumbersome to move. The pay is okay but I can't seem to get used to people staring at me for long periods."

"Is that so?" Harima said. "How about this: just give me a text after your shift and I'll pick you up to drive you home."

Yakumo's eyes widened. "No, Harima, you do not need to do that. I can –"

"Just like what I said, Imouto-san, I'm here for your safety." Harima cut in. "Maybe some weird customer may follow you back and do something bad. You can't ignore these things if it meant your well-being. Besides, I don't have anything else to do whenever your shift is coming to a close. Just give me a text and I'll pick you up."

Yakumo lowered her head. "If it's not a bother to you…"

"Of course it's not a bother to me. You have helped many times now in your own time so at least give me a chance to help you in return."

Yakumo couldn't dissuade Harima anymore. "Okay. I will. And thank you." She said with a small smile and she nodded.

"I'll wait for you in the back alley. I'll first make sure there aren't any four-eyed karate masters or blond foreigners there this time." Harima said, bringing out the time when his manga was nearly discovered. Yakumo too gave a small smile of the memory.

After their conversation, they saw Shiba was already awake, sitting in front of them. The sun was slowly setting, coloring the scenery in bright red and golden orange hue. It looked magical given that Yagami Shrine was on top of a hill overlooking the city.

"Well, let's go back now." Harima said as he stood up. "At least Shiba got a little exercise. It's almost a month now that I started keeping him. I should return him to Rich Girl after that."

"You'll return him?" Yakumo asked.

"That's our deal. A month and she won't bother me unless it's the engagement thing."

"Oh." Yakumo said downcast.

Harima noticed this and said, "I think I can talk to her if I can keep him for much longer. Even I can see Shiba is now starting to like you."

Yakumo wasn't yet rid of her fear but she knew she was making progress. "That's good to hear." she replied.

Before they started walking, Yakumo said to Harima, "Uhm, Harima? Can we do this from time to time? I mean, taking the dog out for a walk once in a while?"

Harima thought about this for a few seconds. "I've always been taking Shiba out ever since I've brought him in. But, yeah. You are always welcome, Imouto-san. I'll tell it to you if we're going out for a walk."

Yakumo beamed with a smile. Not only she'll wait for a visit in a zoo but a simple walk would do just fine. "Okay. Thank you."

"You know. You should smile more often, Imouto-san." Harima said. "It suits you best."

Yakumo prettily blushed. "Sure. I'll try."

After their walk down the stairs (which was way easier than going up), Harima handed Yakumo the leash, much to her surprised, and said, "Is it okay if you'll be the one leading Shiba home? If we'll gonna walk with him more then you should learn how to walk holding his leash."

Yakumo didn't expect this but at least she should try. She nodded, took hold of the leash and stared at Harima. "Now what?" she asked.

Harima smiled in amusement. "Now we'll walk. Shiba will know that we're on the move." The two started walking and the way Yakumo walked she looked like a robot.

"Imouto-san, just relax." Harima said to her. "Remember when you last fed him? Stay calm and be confident."

Yakumo nodded and this time her walk doesn't look too clunky. Shiba however went at the full end of his leash when he saw that passed his interest and pulled Yakumo along with him. At his, she quickly used her other hand to hold on to something – and that something was Harima's arm.

"Shiba!" Harima exclaimed and the dog scurried back to his master. He looked at Yakumo clinging to his arm and said, "You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Yakumo replied, still holding the leash and Harima's arm. When she noticed the latter, she released her grip in embarrassment. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine." Harima answered. "I guess Shiba can pull you due to his size. You can hold onto me if he's making you lose balance. You'll get used to it eventually that you don't need my help anymore."

"Okay." Yakumo slowly held to Harima's arm and they continued their walk. From time to time, Shiba would pull Yakumo and Harima would call back the dog.

The walk was more than Yakumo expected. It looked simple on the outside but the effect on her was different. She learned new things from Harima again and she now realized that something she feared once was what made them closer together. Their walk costed them nothing in monetary value but the experience it brought to her was priceless. So this was how it felt like to walk with the man you love. She felt contented, safe and fulfilled. The memories created with someone dear to her was truly worth treasuring, and to Yakumo, more of this would still follow.

The two went home together, side by side – until Shiba would go over his leash and pulls Yakumo away again.

Unbeknownst to them, however, from one of the house's rooftops, they were being watched.

"_Hmm. It looks like they don't need my help after all."_

"_All this time we're trailing him and I thought you're watching those two because you're jealous?"_

"_Me? Jealous? Pfft. Why would I be?"_

"_But you bumped him that one time. You didn't intentionally do it?"_

"…_Maybe."_

"…"

"_Okay, I don't like him. There. Satisfied?"_

"_But he helped you a few times now."_

"_And you don't have to always apologize for me. I can own up to my actions."_

"_Well, suit yourself. It's getting late now. I better get home before they start looking for me."_

"_Uhh, yeah. Your family is kinda strict, right? Still way better than that midget girl, though."_

"_Don't be like that. And next time, try and tell me why you're jealous."_

"_Am not!"_

* * *

**Author's Corner: **OH it's so good to be back from a long break! I'm really sorry that this story has been in the back burner for months. Very busy and I was writing a One-Punch Man story so this was sidelined. Still, this story should be my main priority! Procrastination and a busy schedule really drag this story most of the time. It also didn't help the pacing of this story is quite slow to begin with. But alas! We're making progress my dear readers and I hope you'll continue to read this.

Well, reviews are always appreciated and see you in the next chapter!


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

* * *

Harima wasn't having the best of days. Well, that was always the case whenever he's in school. It bored him to no end and it felt like a prison with all the imposed rules he has to abide in. How did he managed to be in 3rd year in high school was beyond his literal understanding. He knew the reason why he was in 2nd year but didn't want to think about it anymore.

The section he was in was lively like last year. Nothing much have changed with his classmates except Eri – thank heavens – was not here, and Tenma. Oh, Karasuma was also gone. So does Imadori and Karen. There's this red-headed guy who he can't recall who wasn't here too. He could spot some new students he wasn't familiar with but that was beside the point.

Now that he thought about it, this was the first time he gave a crap about the class. Why was that though? It might be he's now starting to get used to this routine. The change of environment was also a big adjustment. Before, Itoko would shoot a blank round just to wake him up for school. Couldn't she think of a better way to wake him up? His cousin would also blackmail him to force him to go to school, whether she'll throw him away or reveal his secrets to the world.

This time around was different. A good meal in the morning was better than being deaf and being the butt of jokes by Sarah was less scathing because she's a nun and she doesn't really mean it. Coming from Itoko was an entirely different story.

His assistant, now co-author, Yakumo was always there. Harima doesn't have to scramble to go to her for help. She was always willing to lend a hand in every opportunity. This made Harima felt indebted to her enormously and thanks to recent events, he now felt he was repaying her enough. Visiting the zoo with her and showing her not to be afraid of dogs were something he hadn't thought in doing before. Yakumo doesn't seem to mind and seemed to be content. Never had he thought that it would be quite easy and natural, unlike Eri to be very demanding and tiring.

And one last thing. He has to ask Rich Girl to let him keep Shiba. He might have to talk to Eri about it. Sarah also said the Yakumo needed something. They're not in a rush and he didn't know what she'll do with it but he guessed he should add that to the list.

The bell rang, signaling for lunch break. Harima didn't waste any second as he automatically stood up and quickly went outside the room for the rooftop. He should be looking for Eri about Shiba right now but not today. He could do it some other time. She would always pop up in the most unexpected of places. And if he willed it enough, she would –

"Hey Whiskers." Harima flinched. He knew that voice very well. He turned around and saw Eri approaching him.

So much for his wish.

"Oh, Rich Girl. What's up." He greeted flatly.

"What's up?" Eri repeated indignantly. "That's how you'll greet me? What's up?"

"Yeah. Something wrong with that?"

Eri's blood was beginning to reach boiling point. Why would their conversation always end up antagonistic? It's like they didn't know one another.

"Forget about it." Eri shrugged off, feeling that it'll only get worse if she keep countering. She looked away and twiddled her fingers. "Well, this Saturday, I just wanted you to… you know… I'll be going to… "

"Is it another engagement thing again?"

"No!" Eri snapped back. She composed herself and cleared her throat. "I mean, it's not related."

"So what's the deal?"

"Could you be patient for a second?!" Eri recovered from her tantrums and sighed. "I'm going skeet shooting this Saturday morning so if you want to come, that would be great." She quickly said.

Harima stared at her for a few seconds.

_Crap! I've been too quick! _Eri thought in panic. _Does he even know what skeet shooting is?_

"Well, it's my family's past time like golf to other families so –"

"Sure, I'll go."

Eri look startled. "You'll go?" she said disbelievingly.

"Of course."

Eri felt very happy that she could have jumped in delight.

"But in one condition though."

Eri's mood plummeted quickly as it rose. "Tsk. What is it?"

"About Shiba. I want to keep him for longer than we agreed upon last time."

Eri was genuinely surprised at his request. Why was he asking this? "Ahh, you mean the dog? You want to take care of him again?"

Harima nodded.

"Uhh, sure. It's not that big of a deal." Eri shrugged. It may not be her plan from the beginning but she once heard Yakumo was afraid of dogs, and if Harima did something to irk her by keeping something she fears then it's not good for those two. It was one of the many fortuitous situations Eri always found herself regarding Harima. Fate seemed to be on her side.

Eri folded her arms with a pout. "But my restraining order is over. I could bother you whenever I like."

Harima inwardly groaned. _Oh, right. That comes with the deal._ "Yeah, yeah. So this Saturday morning? I've got to deliver my manuscript first."

"Whatever you want. Just give Nakamura a text and he'll pick you up like usual. We don't have any scheduled meetings this week so it's alright."

Harima turned around. "That sounds good. Well, see you around this Saturday. I've got work to do."

"Work as in scowl all day?" Eri retorted.

Harima started walking away, didn't even bother to give a reply. This made the blonde annoyed but she got what she came for. There was a small blush on her cheeks as she walked away.

_I did it! I did it!_ Eri thought, a fist tightly balled. Her cellphone vibrated in her pocket and she took it out.

_Wow Eri. I never thought you'd be so bold. Asking him directly like that. It seems I lost another bet against Akira again. Good luck. _– Mikoto

Another message popped.

_Don't worry, Eri. Harima knows skeet shooting, if the survival game has any indication. Congratulations to the both of you._ – Akira

Eri instantly flipped her phone closed and looked around wildly. She didn't notice the two in any corner or windows.

_What the hell?! Are those two spying on me?! And what does Akira mean 'Congratulations'?_

Eri quickly went back to her room, mad and happy at the same time.

x-x-x

Sarah was walking back home after her shift working in the Chinese restaurant. It was again a very busy day as Mr. Chen has a habit of accepting all kinds of reservations no matter if he's free or not. Her senior Asou has always been suspicious about it but the added pay somehow makes up for it.

As Sarah walked inside the residence, she noticed Yakumo was setting something on the far side of the yard.

"Good afternoon Yakumo." Sarah greeted as she approached.

"Oh, Sarah. Welcome home." Yakumo replied as she stood up. Sarah eyed the things on the ground. There was a plow, water hose, a small rake and some garden tools. Yakumo herself was wearing gloves and a garden apron.

"You seemed pretty busy. Are you planning to build a garden?" Sarah asked.

Yakumo glanced at her hands and apron. "Harima told me that we should try something new. I think it's worth a try."

"Harima told you, huh?" Sarah said with a sweet smile. She noticed the expected blush on Yakumo and let it slide.

"When we were walking Shiba he told me that he thought that you asked him to buy some flowers so that we can plant them. Right now he's out to buy some garden ornaments. We didn't find any in the storage room." It was more that Yakumo who went to search for it because for some reason Harima doesn't want to go in.

Sarah blinked a couple times._ That's not my intention. How did Harima come up with that?_ "That's a nice hobby to pick up I suppose." She conceded. "It looks fun. Can I help?"

"If you're not that tired, then of course. I'm just picking out weeds and doing the layout. It's not that physically demanding than I expected though."

After their chore was done, the two sat on the veranda to wait on Harima.

"So… Yakumo." Sarah said.

Yakumo turned to her.

"I've noticed you've been hanging out with Harima more lately. You're now even walking the dog with him. That's really surprising, you know?" Sarah cleared her throat and continued. "Have… have you told him already?"

Yakumo was surprised at the question, but then her expression went mellow. She hung her head low, eyes half-lidded and it quickly gave Sarah her answer.

Sarah put a hand on Yakumo's shoulder and continued, "It's okay, Yakumo. You don't have to force it. The important thing is that you two spend time together and you're happy. He'll come around sooner or later."

Yakumo broke to a small smile. This was what she appreciated with Sarah. She wasn't too intrusive unlike the others who assumed much.

"But really now. You two act as a couple already and that is so cute!" Sarah said with a squeal.

"S-Sarah!"

"I won't interrupt if you two are doing something together I promise." Sarah quickly added.

Before Yakumo could protest, a rumbling of a motorcycle resounded. At this, Sarah stood up.

"Looks like Harima's back." The nun said. "Well, I'll be leaving you two now!" She scurried inside the house, leaving Yakumo alone.

It took a few seconds before Yakumo got her bearings and when she looked back towards the gate Harima was walking towards her. There was bouquet of flowers in his hand and the ornaments he bought were on another.

"Oh, Imouto-san. I nearly forgot," Harima said, handing the bouquet to Yakumo. "Here are the flowers that Sarah told me about. I don't know what she'll do it with but you can take your share. They're quite many."

Yakumo stared at the flowers. It was a bouquet of orchid flowers of purple and blue and some white roses sprinkled around. The blue and white combination looked radiantly cool and calming in the eyes and it seemed it has a meticulous glow of its own.

How Harima did have good preference for flowers were beyond her. She knew Harima misunderstood what Sarah was trying to do but being given flowers by the man she has fallen for she can't resist but believe it otherwise.

And to be honest with herself, it nearly brought her to tears.

"Uh, Imouto-san? Why you are teary eyed? Wait. Are you allergic to the flowers? Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know so please –" Before Harima could take it away, Yakumo held to it tight.

"No, they're wonderful." Yakumo said with a sniff.

"Are you sure you're not allergic?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry. I'll just arrange this in a vase and afterwards we can work the garden." Yakumo looked up to him and gave him a warm smile. "And thank you."

Harima felt a slight déjà vu. He did advise her to smile often but he knew that smile before but could not remember it. Where did he saw this smile before?

"Uh, sure. I'll just set up the ornaments while you're doing that." Harima took the sack and walked away, still feeling a little weird.

Yakumo went inside the house, staring at the flowers with a genuine smile. At the far side, Sarah watched the two with rapt attention. Harima has always misunderstood everything, but little by little her plans were coming to fruition. Those two indeed looked like a cute couple now. She really thought Yakumo should at least given him a hug or something but a sweet appreciative smile would have to do.

Now if only she could come up with a mock wedding starring those two.

x-x-x

It was Saturday noon. Eri was now in the shooting range and was not-so patiently waiting for Harima. She was mostly in the shooting range with Akira to blow some steam. It was there that she learned Akira has a knack for guns and quite a gun enthusiast. Having guns in Japan were strictly illegal and Eri finding someone like that, no less a high school student, was very surprising. If Akira had joined one side during the survival game, it would have been very lopsided indeed – even if Nakamura still joined in.

However, waiting wasn't one of Eri's strong points. Had she made a mistake trusting Harima by his word when he's in school feeling out of sorts? No, of course not. He's mostly like that, a man of his word, despite him being a delinquent. Honor among delinquents? A rare breed but Harima is a lot of things as of late and tagging him as delinquent doesn't suit him anymore.

Just his look. Definitely.

Eri was pondering if she'll give him a call just to make sure. Nakamura had set out for a while now and hasn't come back yet.

There was a debate right now in Eri's mind. If she'll call to check on him, she'll look like she doesn't trust him and will look clingy. She already acts clingy in their engagements for show and still acting like that would rub Harima the wrong way. She wants this to feel genuine and not one of those engagements. However, if she doesn't call, it would insinuate that she doesn't care whether he'll come or not. It would support his snobbish personality and Harima doesn't seem to appreciate that.

Whatever the decision raging between the two imaginary entities on her shoulders, Eri was still undecided. It was those simple things that when thought through looked very complicated.

As always, she left the thoughts and simply waited. There's not much of a reason to think this thoroughly to torture herself.

Eri had been looking at the clear blue sky when she finally heard a familiar voice.

"Yo, Rich Girl. Sorry if it took us a long time."

Harima!

Eri quickly looked at him and, using all her willpower to downplay her excitement, asked, "What took you so long? It's almost afternoon now."

"I think I should be the one to apologize, Miss Eri." Nakamura said, stepping in. "I fetched him in the publisher's building after he submitted his manuscript. Apparently, someone recognized me as the one who brought his manuscript for a contest. I made a mistake and used my own name back then and so it was recorded as mine. To add, I was also the one who represented it when it won an honorable mention. There was a legal problem concerning that and I tried to fix it by clearing my name. It didn't take a long time but as it is, it still took time in paper work. I needed to sign a contract of revocation and a vow the manuscript wasn't mine in the first place. It should be with this young master here."

"Wow, jeeves." Harima said. "That's quite an explanation for Rich Girl here. You could just say we got stuck in traffic. And don't call me young master or whatever."

Nakamura turned at Harima and bowed modestly. "Oh, my apologies, Mr. Future Husba-"

"NAKAMURA!" Eri exclaimed. "Enough of your long winded explanations and fix us something to eat!"

"Of course, milady." Nakamura answered and went on his way.

Eri was irritated beyond belief. Nakamura has always been so direct when it comes to matter like this.

"So, skeet shooting, huh?" Harima said, observing the shooting range. "It's just like shooting a flying disk or whatnot, right?"

"Yeah, it's like that." Eri answered. "But you're using a shotgun in shooting far off targets. You don't get to pick which kind of gun you want – and sometimes that makes it tricky." She took a shotgun and showed it to Harima. "Just be careful where you point it. I don't think I have to say the obvious but its guns we're dealing here."

"I may be a delinquent but I'm not that stupid." Harima took a gun and inspected it to check if it was loaded. He aimed at it in a form he knew how.

"For someone's not stupid, you sure know how to handle guns." Eri quipped.

"You'll learn things if you lived in the streets. And I also watch movies. They ain't that different."

"Well, they are. It's much harder doing it instead of watching." Eri wore an earmuff and protective shades. A disk was flung into the air and Eri aimed at it. There was quick "puff puff" sound and the disk shattered into a very visible fine dust in the air. "That's how you do it," she finished, taking off the earmuffs.

"Huh. I can say I'm impressed, Rich Girl." Harima said. "I never knew you're such a shot."

It was not much of a surprise that Eri nearly got her heart beating faster. As it was, she controlled herself like before to not make it obvious. "Well, Nakamura was once a soldier and he taught me while I was young. I don't like golf because it involves walking around for hours."

"Yeah. I don't' even get why rich folks like golf anyway. Seems like a waste of space." Harima wore an earmuff and protective shades. A disk was flung in the air and Harima took a shot. It missed, however, much to Harima's embarrassment. He took off the earmuffs and saw Eri in a wide grin.

"Ha! So I'm a better shot at you!" Eri bragged.

Harima groaned. "Tsk. I don't seeing you making a change in the survival game back then. How was it? You don't have any in your record. And Karasuma, of all people, eliminated you?"

"Hey! Don't go uppity with me! I'm just being competitive here!"

"And it's just the first try. I haven't used a gun like this before. The ones Akira supplied before are automatics – which can be quite hard to use indoors. That's why I changed to handguns towards the end."

"At the end, huh? Who are you referring to when you made that speech?"

Harima paused. "…I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hey! I'm asking you a question?!"

"Aren't we here do to some skeet shooting, not an interview? I had it whenever people ask what I do for a living for how many times now."

"Fine! I'll show you how I'm better than you at this! The survival game means nothing!"

"Whatever you say."

Their activity, with small break intervals, lasted to the afternoon that it wasn't bright enough to continue anymore. Moreover, Eri marginally had better scores than Harima – much to his annoyance. A Rich Girl beating a hardened delinquent like him? Not in his dreams.

"Now you're convinced I'm better than you?" Eri said, looking at the scores.

"Hey, this is my first time here. And I say I did well against someone who has been doing this for a long time."

"So you want to do this some other time again?"

"Uhh, I don't know." Harima simply answered.

A vein throbbed on Eri's forehead. How dare he casually wave off one of her invitations?! "You don't know? What does that mean exactly?"

"As I said, I don't know. You just said we don't have any meetings so I agreed. Maybe I'm being busy doing other things. I don't have any well-planned schedule like you rich folks."

"Tsk. Well, the offer is always there, if you want to redeem your honor for a rematch that is."

"We're pretty even. Just leave it at that." Harima walked away with a wave and Nakamura drove him home. Technically it was the Tsukamoto's residence but he had treated it as such nowadays.

Eri sighed. Was she happy? She didn't expect it would turn out like this in the first place. It still felt Harima wasn't opening up to her. They simply looked like competing against each just for the sake of competition. Was she wrong about this? Where was the unpredictable and carefree Harima? He looked calm and somber most of the time unlike his devil-may-care personality. Disappointment wasn't the right word here, she was certain, but she was still expecting more.

Maybe the engagement was taking a toll on him that she didn't expect. Harima looked like a different person during those times and perhaps he's unconsciously reverting to it whenever he's with her, engagements or not.

Sighing heavily, Eri was about to gather her things when her cellphone went off. She flipped it open and read the message.

"_Eri! That is your chance! You didn't even leave a goodbye kiss or anything on your date! That is so uncool!"_ – Mikoto

"_You should have at least made a wager that the winner could command the loser anything. That's a good opportunity for a kiss perhaps. A hug should have sufficed, though."_ – Akira

Eri once again flipped her phone quickly.

_How are those two spying on me?!_

x-x-x

"Oh, Imouto-san, did you have a good time?"

"I can't say I'm having a good time but it isn't all that bad. It's just tiring."

"That's why I'm here. Well, come on. I'll drive you home."

Yakumo rode on the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around Harima.

"You're set?" Harima asked.

"Yeah."

Harima started the motorcycle and they drove home. It's good timing since when he was dropped off by Nakamura at the front gate, his cellphone rang and it was Yakumo who was reminding him it was the end of her shift. God forbid he might have missed and forgot all about it while he was still with Eri. It still pained him when he lost to someone like her but at least he got to keep Shiba for Yakumo's sake.

It wasn't all that bad if he thought about.

Yakumo snuggly hugged Harima from behind.

_Well, I can say I'm having a good time now, _she thought blissfully as she closed her eyes.

x-x-x

During that night, Yakumo stared at the two plants on her desk near the window. One was a lone surviving bonsai from her late mother's garden which Tenma had unintentionally ruined when they were kids. Her sister had uprooted the plants from their pots and tried to plant it on the ground instead. When that failed she tried to return it to their pots, but because of her grave mishandling the abused plants can't be returned to its previous state anymore and was ruined completely. The only one left intact was in Yakumo's care and she tried to take care of it as much as she can since, according to her father, it was one of the past times he did with their mother – in keeping up a garden.

Yakumo smiled at the thought. Her gaze then fell on the other plant on a vase. It was the flowers Harima gave to her because Sarah had simply asked him. It wasn't out of love or anything but she couldn't help herself be happy at such a gesture.

Would it be the same regarding her parents? Truth be told, Yakumo barely knew her mother and she only heard stories from her dad. It seemed her mother was good at gardening. Now she was doing it alongside the man she has fallen for, could it mean something?

"If you put it that way, then it must mean something."

Yakumo was startled at the voice. She looked around and saw the ghost in her gentle green glow, hovering in one corner.

"All this thinking, however, doesn't amount much at the end."

"How did you –"

"You're sad whenever you're thinking about your mother, no matter the context."

Yakumo remained silent. She genuinely has no clue what the ghost was planning to. The ghost once suggest to take their powers but to what end? What would that accomplish?

"It seemed you're confused to what I'm trying to do." The ghost said, reading her mind point to point. "For what, you asked? To be honest, I do not understand in whatever you're doing in this charade. You once said you want to connect with other people from the bottom of your heart. I truly did believe you there. And yet, here you are: heart still closed no less to the one you truly love. I'm getting tired of it. What if I personally try something different this time?"

"And you'll do it by taking ours?" Yakumo asked.

"You initially got interested to this man sorely because you saw something unique about him. You can't read him unlike the others. What if I simply took out that obstacle, both for you and your beloved? Would that help? Despite being rare gifts, they are burdens with a cost. Of course, I'm doing this in trying to understand something I cannot grasp. Maybe by having what both of you have, maybe I can finally understand it."

"Then leave Harima out of this. Take mine if you want to."

"But oh, it isn't that easy," responded the ghost. "I'm finding it hard for him, too. Still, it's up to you whether it will happen or not. If I'm you, I won't wish for it to ever happen. It isn't pleasant." The ghost turned around. "We'll meet again, Yakumo." At this she completely vanished.

Yakumo looked on and then glanced at the two plants sadly. Tomorrow was a new day and it would mean she and Harima would be visiting the zoo again. She was excited at that but because the ghost had again left vague statement regarding her motives, it still felt unnerving. She took solace on the positive side and went to sleep.

As the ghost said, thinking too much won't amount to anything.

* * *

**Author's Corner:** Ever wonder how Harima came up with the bouquet? The white rose symbolizes what he thought of Sarah (since she is a nun and white symbolizes purity). He picked blue/purple orchids for Yakumo because she has a very calm personality and with it, a cool and passive beauty. Orchids are quite oriental so he chose it over a regular rose. Combine those two together and voila, Harima came up with something so simple and yet stunning at the same time. Neat, isn't it?

Here's what it looks like from a Pinterest picture. Just add this after the dot com of the Pinterest website (picture not mine for disclaimer): **/pin/143904150567710044/**

Sorry for the late update again! I've been updating my other OPM story so I might have left this for a while.

Anyway, any reviews would be appreciated and see you in the next chapter!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

* * *

It was Sunday morning. Sarah went to church earlier as per her routine, leaving Yakumo and Harima. Since it was the day they'll go to the zoo, Yakumo was somewhat excited. However, she wasn't that troubled what dress to wear or what things she should do because it was Harima she'll be with. At this point, it was the least of her concerns. Perhaps because they now live together and had spent time together that things like these comes natural to them.

To think about it, it was these things Tenma worried about more when dealing with Karasuma who wasn't that bothered to trivial things as long as they shared time together.

After their breakfast, Yakumo was sitting on the veranda waiting on Harima who's washing the dishes. They've talked during breakfast was that Shiba needed some exercise. Yakumo assumed they would take Shiba out for a walk as usual. After that, there are a few hours for them to do some chores. They'll go to the zoo after lunch like last time. It was their schedule for the day and Yakumo found no problems with it.

Harima arrived with Shiba trailing him, but what Yakumo noticed was that he was holding a chew toy shaped like a bone.

"Oh Imouto-san. Sorry if I took so long. I went to look for this first." Harima said, motioning to what he's holding.

"It's alright." Yakumo answered. "Are we going out for a walk again?"

"This time, no." Harima answered. Yakumo looked puzzled so Harima continued, "We're gonna walk in the zoo later so I don't think we should walk Shiba today. We might get tired early."

"Oh."

"But there are other ways to exercise a dog than simply taking them out for a walk." Harima took out the toy bone and showed it in front of Shiba. Once Shiba saw it, his fluffy tail began wagging. "I've been teaching him how to fetch. This way, we won't have to go out for a walk. It's like this," Harima tossed the toy for a few meters and Shiba ran towards it. He bit on it and returned. Harima needed to pry the chew toy out from the dog's mouth which resulted for a brief tug-of-war. Harima finally pried out the toy as Shiba looked at him excitedly.

"Well, he's a training in progress." Harima said, a little embarrassed. Yakumo, though, looked impressed. She had seen animals doing tricks in TV before but she had never seen one personally.

"I never knew Shiba can do some tricks." Yakumo remarked.

"I do try." Harima replied sheepishly. "You once said that I can be a good animal trainer, right? It's just a try." Yakumo couldn't help a small smile at that.

Harima threw the toy for the second time and Shiba fetched it with the same result as the last. After the third try, Harima handed the toy to Yakumo much to her surprise.

"I think you should try this one out." Harima said. "This is much easier if you asked me." Yakumo took the toy and threw it. Shiba ran to fetch it and then returned to her. In her eyes, however, was a big dog barreling down on her with fangs barred. This made her panic and she quickly went behind Harima which made him laugh.

"It's okay, Imouto-san." Harima said after a few laughs. "He won't tackle or ran you over."

"He just surprised me." Yakumo replied.

"It's fine." Harima said, taking out the toy from Shiba's mouth. He returned the toy to Yakumo which in turn threw it again. Shiba fetched it but this time, Yakumo didn't ran away since she's already beside Harima.

"Now that you're able to feed him, can you take the toy out of his mouth?" Harima asked.

"I… I'll try." Yakumo answered. She slowly stretched a hand towards Shiba's mouth but quickly retracted it back out of nervousness.

Seeing this, Harima held her hand much the same with the time he helped her feed the dog. Yakumo became stiff and Harima chided her to relax. Feeling that she had calmed down, Harima led Yakumo's hand to the toy on Shiba's mouth and held it with his hand over hers. Since Shiba won't give in without a struggle, he stubbornly held on to the toy until Harima was forced to call his name out which loosened the dog's grip. The toy was on Yakumo's hand and Harima took a step away.

"I told you he's a training in progress." Harima said. "Dogs are sometimes possessive so they won't easily give something what's already in their mouth. They usually bite if you're being careless even how friendly they seem to be."

"So, there's a chance I might have been bitten?" Yakumo asked, quite surprised.

"Don't worry, Imouto-san." Harima answered with an assuring smile. "As long as I'm here, I won't let anyone hurt you, even by Shiba." The words lingered in Yakumo's mind for a moment. With just a few words, it made her feel that he really meant it.

"Imouto-san? Shiba's waiting."

Yakumo woke up from her reverie and tossed the toy with much force than intended as Shiba ran after it for some time. The dog returned with the toy but Yakumo was still apprehensive about Harima said earlier.

"Perhaps I've been forceful this time." Harima said and he pried the toy out of the dog's mouth. "I didn't mean to scare you like that. Maybe someday you'll get used to it."

Here it was again. Yakumo was always surprised how Harima could be so perceptive and still be naïve in other matters. That's just how he is, never retreating to any sort of feigned concern when it involved her.

They did this routine for a few times until Shiba showed signs that he wasn't up for the next one since he was panting more heavily and moving quite sluggish now.

"That wraps up for today." Harima said. "We'll go to the zoo after lunch like last time. That leaves us a few hours. As for me, I'll check on the motorcycle. I can't have him breaking on us while on the road. You really can't be sure about accidents."

"Okay. That sounds good." Yakumo replied. "Just remind me if we're going. I sometimes lost track of time."

"You don't say." Harima said with an amused grin which made Yakumo blush a little. "Well, time for my mechanical buddy to get his treatment. If you excuse me." Harima walked away for his motorcycle and left Yakumo standing still.

Did he just make a quip about her? Yakumo assumed that because they were friends that he did that. Her friends do the same thing almost every time around her.

But it was still strange, though, coming from Harima. It was almost a playful tease.

Smiling inwardly, Yakumo went inside. Her homework won't do itself.

x-x-x

After an uneventful lunch and dishwashing, Yakumo and Harima went to the zoo. Yakumo was starting to enjoy riding on the motorcycle. It felt free and at the same time felt secured. Looking at the cascade of scenery to her side and the cool breeze blowing about, she had never thought that driving can be so calming and peaceful. It almost made her sleepy somewhat.

At first when she helped Harima in his manga before, she was worried about the gossips when the two were spotted together riding a motorcycle. For a girl to ride with a boy only meant that they were dating. No other interpretations needed. That's just how gossips work.

But now, she doesn't think any of that anymore. The blissful moment, this closeness she could feel, drowned out the background noise much like the constant outside thoughts that barrage her mind. To think that the only boy whose mind she can't read can also make her shrug off distractions just from his mere presence. Her arms around his body made her truly feel the distractions were nothing but a distant whimpering. In her mind, they were the only ones here while the outside world quickly passed them by in a blur.

Yakumo smiled a little. How her thoughts make her more of a melodramatic poet than a manga editor.

Whatever her mind interpreted it out to be, she was happy. And that was all she really longed for.

x-x-x

The two arrived in the zoo but this time, they bought each of their own ticket instead of Harima paying it all. Yakumo couldn't let Harima spend every time and persuaded him that he had drove them there so at least she could buy her own ticket. Harima found nothing wrong with that, as to all of Yakumo's reasoning, and had agreed.

Like last time, Yakumo and Harima went to the giraffe's pen first to check up on Pyotr. Once the giraffe saw them, the animal quick galloped towards their direction.

"Yoh, Pyotr!" Harima greeted. "It's been a while!" He reached out to pet Pyotr but the giraffe retracted his neck away.

"Okay. He's mad again for some reason."

"Hello Pyotr." Yakumo greeted calmly. Pyotr's head lowered and gently stroke her cheek.

"I know, Pyotr. You miss her more than me." Harima said dejectedly.

"You said he's mad about something." Yakumo said, petting Pyotr's head.

"Oh yeah. Look here, Pyotr. I'm a very busy man now. With all that's happening, I can't keep visiting you every day like I usually do in the past."

Pyotr's big beady half-lidded eyes stared at Harima. Yakumo felt that there's some communication between the two by simply looking at each other.

"I admit. I think once every two weeks is quite long." Harima said. "How about this: once a week and that's all I can give. Anything else would need me splitting up."

Pyotr slowly blinked and then nodded. There seemed to be an agreement now, Yakumo could tell.

"So, Imouto-san. Is it okay if we visit the zoo every week now? I know I'm asking too much of your time but the animals would like it if they saw you too instead of just my face. You can pass if you're too busy and that's still fine."

"It's fine with me." Yakumo answered. "I'm starting to like visiting the zoo frequently."

"Okay. Thanks a lot, Imouto-san."

Harima noticed that Pyotr's head was about to brushed aside Yakumo like last time and he quickly sprang into action. He quickly went between them and put his arms around Yakumo, keeping her away from the young giraffe.

"Oh no, Pyotr!" Harima warned. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that to her!"

Pyotr veered his head away and blinked a couple of times..

"Uh, sorry about that." Harima said. "I swear, Pyotr is sometimes stubborn as a rock."

"It's fine. Thank you." Yakumo replied and smiled. Up this close, Harima really noticed her smile. It wasn't unnerving, that he was sure. He can't put it into words but he was feeling appreciative somewhat. His thoughts stopped when he felt his head being bumped by Pyotr.

"Hey! Stop it!" Harima complained, still shielding Yakumo away from the big animal. Yakumo couldn't help but giggle from this little squabble. This continued for a while until Pyotr stopped.

"Thank goodness." Noticing his arms were still around Yakumo, he retracted it back.

"Oh sorry. You know how Pyotr being a goof sometimes."

"You don't have to apologize to me every time, Harima." Yakumo said. "It's okay."

"Well, I can't help but make sure if it's alright with you. I also think that I'm asking you too much."

"You've also done a lot of things for me. Especially doing the chores."

"We're quits then. Anyway, we still have many to visit." Harima looked at Pyotr and continued, "Pyotr, you can mess with me but not to anyone else, especially not to Imouto-san. We'll be back, you big lug. Stay safe."

The two walked away to their destination. It was the gorilla's pen, specifically Igor's. Yakumo was now acquainted with the large gorilla but the gorilla was still shy and not making any eye contact. Only he responds to Harima whenever he comes close to him.

"How about you hand him this banana, Imouto-san." Harima said. "One way to have a connection with animals is to give them food. That also lets them see you if you're trustworthy or not based on your stance."

Yakumo took the banana Harima handed her and showed it to the gorilla. Igor looked very suspicious as he stared at the banana and Yakumo back and forth. He raised a hand to get the banana and then scampered away, opening the banana to eat it.

"Igor is painfully shy sometimes." Harima said. "But he'll get used around you."

"I sure hopes so."

"You are already making some good progress. Igor won't show up at all if it's a different person."

They took off once Harima said that Igor always felt uneasy whenever they're people around him for long. Next, they went to the lion's pen, Caesar. Yakumo was able to read's Iori's vague thoughts but also of Caesar's. They're practically the same, with them still being cats and all. It's also the same with the tigress, Joan. Aside from strange names, Yakumo was starting to think that maybe she has an affinity for cats no matter the size. Harima's remark of her being a cat lady than a dog lover didn't help matters. He was more surprised that Caesar and Joan bonded with her so quick and they acted like a domestic cat around her.

After visiting the two animals, Yakumo and Harima headed towards the aviary when they saw a man with a falcon perched on his arm with a leather strap. It was like a booth to take pictures with and there's quite a crowd around. Harima caught Yakumo staring at it and said, "You want to take a picture? I think they only do this occasionally so it would be a waste if we let it pass by."

"Don't they usually charge for that?" Yakumo asked.

"They… do. We'll just split the bill if that's okay with you."

"It's okay. I haven't seen a falcon up close."

"Well, it'll be on your arm later." Yakumo flinched. "Come on, Imouto-san. There are few people now."

The two approached the trainer and asked to get a picture taken. Initially, Harima was appalled how much it cost just for a picture with a glorified bird. But then again, he had spent a lot more when in Eri's company. It's more on Eri's insistence and it wasn't his money in the first place. This time, Harima would split the bill with Yakumo so it would be tolerable, unlike Eri shouldering everything, making him feel cheap every time.

They got their pictures taken first with the falcon on Harima's arm. It was leveled on his shoulder so the falcon could normally perch on it. For a brief second, Harima fancied he should try falconry because it looked bad-ass, but quickly decided against it because he didn't want to add another animal after Shiba that would scare Yakumo's cat away. Then the picture was taken and it was Yakumo's turn to hold the falcon.

Yakumo felt uneasy that a bird of prey was about to be perched right on her arm. It was quite small and light than she expected, though. Still, she can't help but get close to Harima when the bird perched on her arm.

"It's okay." Harima assured her. With a nod, Yakumo stared at the camera and smiled for a picture. The bird surprisingly flew back to the trainer once they were done. They waited for a few minutes and then they got their photos. It was wallet sized and comes in pairs and so they took one of each.

Staring at the photos, Harima had to admit he look good in it. Perhaps spending a near fortune wasn't so bad after all. After a few seconds, it came to his attention that he had never have a photo together with Yakumo. Well, that near kiss incident doesn't count because it's an unfortunate stolen shot. They were prepared for a photo this time and for once, it wasn't awkward or forced.

It might have been his imagination but he also has never seen Yakumo smile from any photos he had seen her before. Most of the time, it was a modest smile.

But now.

"Harima? Should we still go to the aviary?"

"Oh! Of course," Harima took out his wallet and quickly slid the picture inside the picture slot. In his haste, he unwittingly put it atop Tenma's picture and then returned the wallet in his back pocket.

"Let's go, Imouto-san. Sorry for the delay."

The two went to the aviary. To Harima's regret, it now has an entrance fee. It wasn't that large but he would still go for something free. After paying their tickets, the two went inside and noticed the aviary has more birds than when they first went in here. It was larger now because there were walkways that were under construction the last time they visited. There walked on a small wooden bridge over a small pond where ducks floated about. Not for long, a red sparrow showed up and perched on Yakumo's shoulder.

"Here's your little friend." Harima said. "But I'm not exactly sure it's from last time. They all look alike."

"Whatever the case, I'm glad we met again. I nearly forgot about him to be honest."

After walking for a few minutes, they sat on a bench to take a rest. They scattered some bird seeds from time to time and a flock of birds crowded in front of them.

"So, Imouto-san." Yakumo turned to Harima. "Why are you afraid of dogs? Did something happen that makes you afraid of them?" Yakumo couldn't tell Harima outright that she's intimidated by a dog's rabid thoughts, but there really was one that added to it.

"When Tenma and I were kids, we saw a puppy lost in the street. It looked harmless so I approached it so we can return it to its owner. It quickly bit me on the hand and ran away. It really hurt and once Tenma saw I was bleeding she panicked. She once heard that when you are bitten by a dog you'll feel very weird and then you'll die. She really thought I was going to die right then and there… and I believed it. Our father told us that I wouldn't happen since the dog has rabies shot. He knew the dog's owner who apologized profusely to us. We're lucky it wasn't a stray dog and we got scolded after that. it was my fault to begin with but Tenma insisted that as the older sister she was responsible for my safety. From that point on, I became wary of dogs because it really hurts to get bitten."

"Is that so? Looks can sometimes be deceiving when it comes to animals." Harima stared at the birds pecking on the ground. "Dogs may bite and bark but they are loyal and loving animals once you get to know them. Perhaps if you look at it that way, you may start to like them instead of fearing them."

Yakumo had practically heard the same thing last week but it still never gets old hearing Harima's explanation.

"I don't know about cats." Harima continued. "They sometimes look very lazy and unconcerned in many things. I sometimes don't know if they'll scratch me or not."

"Iori is alright, even if temperamental. Perhaps I can help you tame cats."

"If it involved climbing a tree and falling from said tree," answered Harima, "I think I'll pass. I had enough falling from the sky for one lifetime."

"Cats aren't all that bad."

"And dogs aren't all that bad too."

"If you put it that way, they'll practically the same."

"Yeah. They're still pets that needed to properly taken care of like the animals here in this zoo."

"Now that you mentioned it, how did you get to know all these animals? When did you and Pyotr and the rest first met?" Yakumo asked. Harima was quite surprised by the question.

"Oh, that? Hmm, if I recall correctly they once had an owner who worked in a circus a long time ago. You know, those performers who goes town to town to make a show. But the owner is very old and his family took separate ways. I guess they couldn't bear the circus life anymore. The owner still insisted to take care of these animals even if his relatives disapproved it. One day, I stumbled on them in an old warehouse. I got to know the old man and grew fond of the animals. However, he got very ill to the point he couldn't come to the warehouse anymore. His relatives took him in and just left the animals there. For a few days, I took care of the animals for his sake, but unfortunately I received the news he passed away. I guess being away from his pets distressed him and took a toll on his health."

"I'm sorry." Yakumo said. "I - I didn't know."

"It's okay, Imouto-san. That's just how it goes. The thing was that the animals were under my watch now. I can't just leave them alone. And, you know, that incident with that news reporter and such."

"I think they're doing fine here despite all that happened."

"But to tell you the truth, Imouto-san, I think it's better if they're out there, where they truly belong. They're still wild animals and aren't meant to be confined like this."

"So, you want them released instead?"

"Well, as you have seen, they're circus animals. They're practically harmless now so they won't survive out there. There's a need to compromise in their case, as what Itoko told me after. Sometimes you just need to sacrifice for others, even at your own expense."

There're so similar and yet so different at some way, Yakumo thought. Sacrificing for others even their own happiness.

"Eventually, the zoo offered me a cut because the animals brought a lot of visitors. They only have a huge red panda that scares people with its size. But in the end I declined. It's better if they spend that share for the animals' food and shelter instead. I'm just thinking that if I buy a ticket, it would go to the animals' welfare and that's fine with me."

"That's really kind of you. I'm sure the animals also think the same."

"You're giving me too much credit, Imouto-san. I'm sure you'll do the same."

"I don't know about that."

"No, really. You know when you got sick last winter? Pyotr wasn't the only who led me to your house. Some animals also went along to check if you're alright."

Yakumo looked surprised. "I – I didn't know that. I thought Pyotr was the only one who alerted you?

"Animals took care of their own, Imouto-san. They saw you protect them when you went between them and that hunter with a gun. In return, they want to keep you safe too."

"Okay. I now feel indebted to them."

"Don't be." Yakumo looked at Harima, confused. "Friends should never owe each other favors. That's why you're friends, right? It just normal for friends to help each other without expecting something in return. Except money. That is different altogether."

Yakumo softly laughed at the last part. She couldn't point out if Harima was just being cheap or frugal.

"I think that's enough for today." Harima said, stretching his arms. "We'll visit next week and before you know it, we're back here again."

"Okay. I'm starting to like visits like this. I never really went out often before."

"I'm glad you're starting to like it. Let's go before they lock us up here with these birds. Trust me, you don't want to sleep with birds perched above you. I've been there."

Not wanting to imagine that scenario, Yakumo stood alongside Harima and then they walked towards the exit. Before they went outside, Yakumo bid goodbye to the red sparrow and it flew out of sight.

"Perhaps you should give him a name." Harima said. "Or is it her? I'm not sure about birds."

"I'm not really good with names." Yakumo admitted.

"Iori is a good one. Ya'mo, too."

"Ya'mo is the name of my character, not a bird."

"Oh! I didn't mean to sound like that!"

"I know. I'll think of something eventually."

The two went back home riding Harima's motorcycle. It was late afternoon and the warm glow of the sun turned the sky into different shades of orange, purple and blue. It almost looked surreal. Yakumo looked on as they drove past by.

Just for the second time, she knew something new about Harima that maybe most people don't know. His actions were sometimes commendable and yet he doesn't have the compulsion to show it off. He needed to be asked first for him to reveal it and even then, reflected it back that it's just normal for a person to do the same. Yakumo had seen her fair share of boys showing off to impress her but Harima tells it like he was more embarrassed to say it. Perhaps he thought that if someone found out that he's an animal lover despite him looking intimidating, it would lose what reputation he still has. Even his manga he was afraid to be revealed to the world.

But these things made him stood out above else.

Yakumo leaned on Harima's back, the man she had noticed when no one else would. It made her briefly wonder what reason Eri had to start to like. Did Eri also knew this? Yakumo wasn't sure about that but given that they were classmates and had spent more time together, the two would surely had known each other quite well. Eri did pick him to be her fiancé out of all the boys who courted her.

Shrugging the thoughts away, Yakumo closed her eyes and began to savor this fleeting moment. To think about it, they'll return here next week so it wasn't fleeting anymore. Still, it doesn't make it any less meaningful. In her mind, they were the only ones here until they go back to their lives when they came home.

And Yakumo wasn't one to waste such precious memories.

x-x-x

The two arrived at the Tsukamoto residence. Harima tapped Yakumo's arm a few times to inform her.

"Imouto-san? We're home."

Yakumo didn't respond. Harima tapped her arm again but still Yakumo was silent.

"Imouto-san?"

Harima finally turned his head around and saw Yakumo leaning her head on his shoulder, looking like she's asleep. This surprised him since sleeping while riding on a motorcycle was quite dangerous. Strangely enough, her arms were still wrapped tightly around him like she was holding on to a pillow or something. Harima remembered that Yakumo could in fact sleep in the most unexpected of places and still be somewhat aware of her surroundings. As baffling as that sounds, Harima chalked it up that she might got tired from walking, just like what happened last time.

Turning the motorcycle off, Harima pried Yakumo's arm off him and put it around his neck to carry her on his back. Yakumo in turn held tightly but not enough to choke him. He couldn't carry her on his arms since he needed his hands to open the gate and the door.

Even after all this, she was still asleep. Harima decided to put her on her bed. Yakumo seemed not to wake up anytime soon.

Walking to Yakumo's room always reminded Harima of some memories. He carried her a few times now and it all because something bad had happened. Even if just went there with good intentions, it would still result him being thrown out.

This time, he was sure Yakumo wasn't sick or fainted. For a change, nothing went wrong. He recalled he hasn't seen Yakumo smile for as many times in a single day. He did advise her to smile more often. There's some appeal to it, he knew. She was Tenma's sister after all so probably they share a smile that can melt even the coldest of hearts. Tenma's smile was bright and heartwarming while Yakumo's was endearing and calming.

While walking towards Yakumo's room, Harima heard her mutter something.

"….love you."

Harima stopped walking and turned to her. Yakumo was still asleep and she just muttered something random in her sleep again.

_The two really are sisters, _Harima thought, remembering a same instance with Tenma.

Harima laid down Yakumo on her bed. Standing up, he checked first if Yakumo would grab him by the leg like last time. It didn't happen and so he turned around to leave. Before he left, he noticed the eye-catching sole bonsai by the window now has a company. It was a vase with the flowers he had given her. The flowers were slowly aging and wilting but was still presentable. Harima took a mental note that he should give her another batch of flowers to replace those.

Gently closing the door, Harima had never thought things would have ended this way.

x-x-x

"_Daddy? What do you mean when you said I'm meeting a person who will make me smile someday? And something… you said after that."_

"_You're still young to find that someone, but someday I hope that you're also gonna smile for him."_

"_But you're here, and you're my dad. Isn't that enough?"_

"_Family is family. But out there, you're going to meet a lot of people. Maybe even make some friends. And among them, you'll find someone to love and also be loved back."_

"_There's someone like you out there?"_

"_Probably. There may be someone like me, and some are different. But I want you to understand: these people also have burdens that they carry with them. Despite how bad they look to you, they're trying to be the very best that they can be in their own little way. You don't have to like them all, but try to understand them at least. And then one day, among those people you cherish, someone will make you smile just as I do."_

"_You make me smile, daddy! And I know I love you! That will never change!"_

"_I know."_

x-x-x

Yakumo opened her eyes slowly. She was feeling very happy and contented, she knew. But what greeted her was pitch black. She can't see anything. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she tried to recall what brought her here.

_Here?_

Yakumo looked around as her vision adjusted in the dark.

_This is my room. Wait. How did I get here? Did Harima –_

Realization finally sank in and she finally remembered that she slept on the way home.

While riding a motorcycle.

Completely embarrassed, Yakumo went out of her room and went downstairs to apologize to Harima. She stumbled upon him eating dinner with Sarah. They were almost done and they seemed to be having a conversation when Yakumo saw them.

"Oh. Good evening, Yakumo." Sarah greeted. "Did you have a good sleep?"

"…Yeah." Yakumo replied with an embarrassed nod. "Uh, Harima. I'm sorry if I fell asleep again."

"Don't worry Imouto-san. No harm done." Harima answered. "If you're gonna sleep like that, make sure Sarah or I are around; just to be safe. I cooked dinner if you're hungry."

Yakumo smiled. "Thank you."

"Oh, Yakumo!" Sarah suddenly exclaimed, surprising both Harima and Yakumo by its volume. "We're just talking about an activity we've done last year. Harima finally agreed to take the part after some convincing. I don't want to repeat what happened last year when there's a problem in schedule. It's still a long way off from today but I just want to make sure this would all go smoothly!"

"I agreed because you brought up that I messed up last time when I barged in uninvited." Harima said

"Hush!"

"What kind of activity is it exactly, Sarah?" Yakumo has an inkling what kind it was, but nonetheless asked to make sure. Perhaps it would magically be different what she thought it would be.

"Silly Yakumo!" Sarah replied with a beaming smile. "A wedding pictorial, of course!"

x-x-x

Shawn was having his evening drinks in his expansive balcony overlooking the city below, glowing like a million gems scattered in the darkness. He took a sip of a vintage tawny port and let it linger in his mouth to savor the taste. The taste of cherries and caramel was just right for its exorbitant price and rarity. Most fools wouldn't even notice the difference between finely aged wines and cheap backwater drinks. This week he tried tawny instead of ruby ports to check if he still has a palate for such tasting.

Indeed, he still got it.

Despite drinking wine that probably cost as much as a house, Shawn's thoughts had been consumed about some man who has the nerve to intrude and ruin everything he planned. Of course, he was just playing around to put Max in his place by taking his girl. But it evolved into something of a challenge that needed special attention. The thought of how much he felt so humiliated in all his life galled him to no end.

Kenji Harima.

Now he knew how that mongrel defeated Max way back when. It was a pity, rather, to learn Max got beaten up so badly. He almost felt sorry for the man.

Almost.

Again, Shawn thought about that Kenji Harima and how he should beat him in this game. He couldn't care less about that half Japanese now. This wasn't about her anymore. It's his pride as a man at stake and Shawn was never one to back down. Doing backhanded tricks wasn't his style but there's nothing wrong in knowing the enemy. He would meet that man again for a dinner this Saturday. Before that, Shawn ordered Will, the very observant of his men, to research every possible weakness that man has.

Especially about food preference.

Taking the menu off a table, Shawn opened it and grinned in amusement.

* * *

**Author's Corner: Sorry for leaving this behind for so long! I should have updated much earlier, but I've been very busy and my procrastinating-self had been very much in-control of me lately. Sorry about that. Hopefully I get back on track!**

**In other news, have others read the special chapter released for School Rumble? It's not another School Rumble Z chapter but a new one that took place 8 years after the series ended. It isn't much to be honest. There are some changes here and there because of the time skip but overall still the same. I'm not sure about Yakumo's new hairstyle, though. It looks like Hinata's hairstyle when she was young. Harima on the other hand went full bad-ass. I'm still unsure about that even if he looked more GAR than usual. I don't know if that would be continued but I'm glad the series was kinda updated after all those years had passed.**

**Anyway, I apologize again for the massive delay and any reviews are appreciated! Ciao!**


	20. Chapter 20

**NOTE: In the previous chapter, Shawn said something about dinner this Saturday. It was supposed to be Friday. Yep. My bad.**

* * *

**Chapter 20:**

Eri was not having the best of days. It was exam's week and the subject she was struggling with was Japanese literature. It didn't help that she was still somehow pissed about what happened in the shooting range with Harima. It took all her courage and will to finally invite him out, and he appeared out of sorts like a man robbed of his soul. They're in a shooting range, not in an opera play! Boys usually has an innate fascination and bravado concerning guns, but Harima took it like it was a chore to do. They should have gone to the zoo or taken a lame walk around and then die of boredom and awkwardness while they're at it. Eri wasn't up for those kinds of stoic activities. It's more on that girl Yakumo to do such campy things.

Brushing the thought away because it's only raising her ire, Eri read what might possibly be as many times as she could remember. The exams were about Japanese language particularly kanji, hiragana and katakana. She had been living in Japan for a few years now but she can't master the local language and writing. Her fellow British schoolmate Sarah has no problems learning it and here she was: a half-Japanese by blood but could not totally get the language.

The year previously Eri had friends that she could count on for help. For language, it was the bookworm and enigmatic Akira Takano. Her secretive friend has a part-time job working in a used book store that was practically devoid of people. To pass the time, Akira read books as much as she likes and so Eri assumed she might be able to help her. Along the way, Eri learned that Akira has a knack for languages aside from her gun hobbies. Akira simply stated that language was her thing and it was crucial to her "other" job. Whatever that was, it was out of Eri's business and she won't force her own curiosity if she could help it.

But as some fate would have it, Eri was placed in 3 – A, a section where none of her friends or classmates last year were placed in. Worse, the foreign exchange students were stacked in here too. Max and his posse, the previous 2-D students consisting of Harry, Lara and Tougo (who acts as a strange combination of different nationalities despite being really Japanese), and Shawn, which thankfully was always absent. The class was now dubbed as the "Foreigner's Section", much to Eri's chagrin and Tougo's delight.

And so, she studied by herself. It's not that she doesn't have any friends. It was because she was now "engaged" and most girls and boys in her class treated her differently. Boys were now less interested in courting her and girls would start gossips about her about some half-truths and exaggerated lies. Every conversation going her way was about her _fiancé _and some perfect girl he's currently living with. This irritated Eri to no end and she opted to be alone than to bear it around with people.

Eri once again stared at her notebook and the exercises she did for practice. It was a short story in English and it needed to be translated in Japanese. She reviewed it one by one and felt somehow satisfied with her progress. She was about to close it when she heard a voice from behind her.

"You have a mistake in paragraph 3. It's a figure of speech, not a direct translation."

Eri turned her head to her side and saw Max, the scar-faced goon of Shawn, much to her annoyance.

"I didn't ask for your help." Eri spat back.

"I know," answered Max. "That's why I did it myself. Oh, look here, another mistake. You're now doing it word for word instead of translating its context."

"Are you here to make fun of me again?" Eri asked, irritated.

Max shrugged. "Depends on what you want. You seem to be forgetting that in junior high I was the one who taught you Japanese."

"Oh, how could I forget that," replied Eri with sarcasm in her tone. "That a random British guy knows how to speak and write fluent Japanese. I only asked for your help back then because the following year I would return to Japan with my father." Eri closed her notebook before the man could point out another flaw. Although they have met again quite recently, this was the first time that they'll converse with each other for a long time. "What ever happened to you? I don't remember you having those claw marks on your eyes before. Did you get in a fight with a cat or something?"

Max sat on his seat which was just beside Eri's and put both hands at the back of his head. "Job hazard. Nothing serious."

"That looks dangerous if Shawn makes you fight his battles." At the sound of Shawn's name, Max's eyes sharpened.

"I don't particularly like it but it pays," the hardened Brit continued. "He's a spoiled asshole, even I know that. But him being a jerk all the time, he makes enemies left and right. That's where we come in. We intimidate and he reaps the rewards."

"And that's the reason why you took my lucky charm last year?"

Max grunted. "No. I was just messing around back then, halfie."

"_Halfie_?" repeated Eri quite offended. "Being half-Japanese, half-British does not make me any less of a person, you… you scarface!"

"Hmm. Scarface, huh?" Max mused with a grin. "I think I like the sound of that."

"And I don't care about your opinion." Eri said, crossing her arms and looking away.

"Even so, you still need correction, Ms. Halfie. And we will be having the exams tomorrow."

Eri gritted her teeth in frustration. She hated it when she was being manipulated. "Fine! Then help me out here even if I don't want to."

"That doesn't make any sense." Max deadpanned.

Eri opened her notebook in one swipe. "I know, but I need it, not want it. There's a big difference."

Max stretched his arms. "For making a fool out of Shawn that one night, I'll probably help you out. It's nice to see him getting embarrassed in front of many people. But just to let you know, I'm here to help you if it meant embarrassing him even more."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'll tell you if you finished that exercise. Oh, I'm a strict teacher – if you don't already know that."

"Tsk. Whatever. Let's get started."

Max corrected Eri's mock exercises quickly. It was very noticeable that an automated web translator was more accurate. Of course, he made this known to her, much to her irritation and his pleasure. It was more on trial-and-error as Max doesn't like to directly give her the answers. He knew she doesn't like to be belittled by treating her like a child. Eri obliged and she did what was asked with surprising improvement. He had to admit, Eri was a fast learner if taught one-on-one.

As Eri was writing another exercise set by Max, he was reminded of the times of their junior high days. Eri was the snobbiest person he has ever met and she doesn't have that many friends before. One should have the initiative to approach her first and even then, put up with her attitude. Max was somehow able to befriend her because he brought up her Japanese lineage and he knew how to speak some Japanese. At first, the young blonde was very defensive and broody and it became apparent that despite her lineage she doesn't know how to speak it. Perhaps she acted that way because he assumed some things about her that was false. Nevertheless, Max couldn't say he became her_ real friend. _She virtually ignored him most of the time unless he was teaching her. Even when they met again in high school, Eri seemed ignorant of his existence. It was fun to snatch that damned charm she desperately clung to. However, it escalated when a man's charm was included. That man would end up being her _fiancé, _and, not admitting to his regret, it was he who suggested that to him.

_It doesn't matter as long as she's happy._

"Why are you staring at me like that, scarface?" The question broke Max from his ruminations.

"It's nothing." Max dismissed. "You should be more focused on what you're doing, halfie."

Eri angrily pouted and wanted to throw her pen at the delinquent. Resisting the impulse, she returned writing.

Strange, though. She felt a sudden familiarity. It may perhaps be nostalgia since she knew Max before. It also didn't help that he sometimes acts like Harima for being impulsive and a delinquent.

This comparison surprised Eri a little.

_No. Of course not,_ Eri thought. _He's nothing like Harima._

And she wasn't sure it that was good or a bad thing.

x-x-x

Yakumo, Sarah and Harima were walking away from the school premises after the exam's week. Harima had managed to pass the exams without much fuss after remembering what Itoko advised him last year how to review: by writing countless words on his body. Both Yakumo and Sarah were very confused about this sage advice and had suggested that he did not need to actually write it dow on his body. A notebook or any kind of paper would have sufficed. But Harima was insistent that this was needed for "it" to work.

Nevertheless, he passed without any problems and so does the two girls. Yakumo was reminded that Tenma's way of learning was by association with the man she loved so she wouldn't forget. The unorthodox methods of the two were quite similar and Yakumo had find them almost the same in mentality and motivation.

Before leaving the school grounds, the usual limousine of the Sawachika family blocked them and the butler Nakamura went out to open the passenger's door.

Harima braced for what was in store for him and after his mental countdown heard "Whiskers".

Sighing, he turned around. "Okay, okay. I know the drill, Rich Girl. No need to be so dramatic."

"Dramatic? This got nothing to do with me." Eri answered back. "If anything, you're the one being uncooperative here by not replying with your cellphone when in school."

"Well I don't like being bothered."

"You seem to be forgetting our deal last time."

"You can but it doesn't mean you should."

"Texting you that we have a meeting this night is bothering you?"

"…Yes."

"For the love of –"

While the two were bickering, Yakumo and Sarah kept quiet. It's not their business to intrude but neither do they want to see the two talk back at each other like mortal enemies.

"Anyway," said Eri, diffusing the argument. "I'll explain everything on the way there. But first, you need to suit up. It's a dinner hosted by Shawn and he's very keen on dress codes. Nakamura has prepared what you'll be wearing so there's no hassle." Eri flicked her gaze at the two girls and ignored them completely. "Let's go."

Harima followed Eri to the limo after saying a quick farewell to the two girls and they drove off.

"Now that's a lively conversation." Sarah finally said. "By the way, why didn't Harima asked you to review his manga like last time?"

"I already did." Yakumo answered.

"You reviewed for the exams and his manga too?"

"Yes. We usually turn off our cellphones during lunch break so no one would distract us."

Sarah giggled. "Now that makes sense."

"Make sense what?"

"Yakumo, do I really have to explain everything to you? Him turning off his cellphone so Eri can't distract him while he's with you?"

Yakumo blinked "Oh."

"Come on. Let's go home. You're turning red again."

Yakumo followed Sarah with a smile.

x-x-x

"A pleasant evening to the both of you." Shawn greeted Eri and Harima. Eri was in a yellow gown while Harima in a crisp dark suit. Shawn was always styled in white and bright colors to compliment his white skin, blue eyes and blonde hair. That was the dress code Shawn wanted of his guests and Eri knew too well how to dress fashionably that compliments one's looks, even bordering to obsession and nitpicking about certain brands.

It was vanity of the lowest level.

"I apologize if this was all too sudden but I hope you don't mind, I'm having a dinner with my colleagues tonight so I thought I might as well invite you two."

_I DO mind!_ Eri thought.

"Not at all, Shawn." Harima said. "It's a pleasure to be here." All of them knew they were lying but for formality sake said those words still.

Eri and Harima took their seats on a Victorian chair placed on the right side of the head of the table which was Shawn's seat, of course. The invited guests were already there. The odd thing was there wasn't any food on the long rectangular table. The chandelier looking like a thousand diamonds hanging over them and the countless cutleries arranged in proper manner were there, but the reason for all of this wasn't here.

_What? Is Shawn gonna make us eat his spoon and forks here? _Eri thought. While her eyes lingered, she spotted Max at the far end of the room, standing like a guard. The words he said to her went back to her mind.

_Listen here. Shawn will prepare a dinner this Friday night and invite you out. He's a tricky bastard so he set up a dinner with a meal that one of you will absolutely hate._

_Hate? Unless he wanted to serve us sticky beans, I don't see that possible. He himself abhor that thing too._

_But your… fiancé does hate something. _

_And that is?_

_For you to find out._

_What?! You're going to leave me in suspense after all you've said?_

_Yeah. You're going to figure that one out. I did say I'm a strict teacher._

_But that's when you're helping me in Japanese literature!_

_I'm strict no matter what I do. You'll figure it out._

"Welcome everyone!" Shawn announced as he lightly tipped a glass with a spoon. "I again apologized if I invited you all here in short notice. But do not fret. I would you like to show you what meal you will be given first before preparing it. We have some incredible staff so it won't take too long." A maid entered with a cart that has a veiled box on it, much to everyone's surprise.

_Whiskers, is there a food you don't like?_

_Not really. I'm not a picky eater. Damn, this suit is so tight._

_That is a branded British suit so stop complaining. So?_

_So, what?_

_A food that you don't like._

_Why are you asking me this?_

_Just answer the question! Uh, well, it's very important. Believe me._

_I can pretty much eat anything. Even horrible riceballs._

_You're sure?_

_Yeah._

_No, you're not._

_Why should I even answer if you already know it._

_Because you indeed hate it. You once said it to me before, remember? Don't try to be so tough and manly here._

_Hate what?_

"I hope this night will be enjoyable for all of us." Shawn walked towards the cart and pulled off the sheet hiding the box, and it showed a glass case containing...

"Shrimps."

_x-x-x_

"Yakumo, I do not want to intrude for a second time now but."

Yakumo paused eating supper and looked at Sarah.

"You've been spending time with Harima lately. You're going to walks, you two tend a garden and going to the zoo in a weekly basis now. He even drives you home after your shift. Why not… you know… tell him how you feel. I think he will understand after what you've done together."

Yakumo was surprised again even it wasn't an unexpected question anymore. Anyone would have suggested it if they knew what Sarah knew, although in a slightly tactless or forceful manner. "Sarah, it's just that… I –"

"You're afraid that if you reveal it, he might feel awkward and it might change what you two have been doing so far."

Yakumo smiled a little. Sarah was more of a mind reader than her.

"In due time, perhaps." Sarah continued. "As for me, you two are bound together now! I can't wait for the wedding pictorial that I might announce you two husband and wife on the spot!"

"S-Sarah."

"What? I did say I'm gonna be your matchmaker so I'm going through this with you till the end."

Yakumo was flattered by her dedication and smiled. "I suppose so."

"Wait!" Sarah exclaimed surprising Yakumo by its volume. "Isn't it Harima's show in TV? What's it called? Three for the Kill?"

"Don't worry." Yakumo calmly replied. "I'm already recording it."

"You do?"

Yakumo motioned to the red LED blinking under the TV. "Yes. It's already recording as we speak."

Sarah grinned. "And you're telling me you two are not yet a couple."

Yakumo kept silent, knowing Sarah wouldn't hold it against her. She continued eating, wondering what Harima was eating too.

x-x-x

"Shrimps."

The guests went wide eyed with surprise as Harima began to prepare himself for the worst. They already talked about this while at Eri's house and on the road and all he had to do was do his part. Whatever this would result, he would not let those glorified bugs touch his lips, let alone eat it.

"What's the matter, Kenji?" Shawn asked, sounding almost patronizing. "You don't like shrimps? I made it as a surprise so I won't spoil your excitement."

"I do not eat shrimps, Shawn, so I'm skipping it." Harima said flatly.

"Oh? It would be quite rude to object something we invite you over in good faith."

"I do not mean to interrupt," said Eri, joining in the conversation. "My fiancée doesn't eat shrimp. It is also rude hiding what meal you've prepared. Perhaps others might be allergic to it. And then what?" the other guests nodded hearing Eri's words but Shawn wasn't finished yet.

"I had taken into account your health and none here, including your fiancée, has any allergic reactions in regards to shrimps."

"You're right," said Harima, "I'm not allergic to shrimps but I don't eat it. Do you know why?"

"Pray tell us." Shawn said. "We're all curious about your aversion to something so extravagant a meal."

Harima cleared his throat. "Just like there are vegetarians and meat lovers I don't eat shrimp. It's just who I am. We have our own preferences. If the fish of the sea is like chicken meat, in my eyes, a shrimp is like beetles in the ground. If you look at them closely, they resemble bugs, aren't they? They are bottom feeders who eat leftovers. I remember that you once said that you like kobe beef because they are raised properly and grain-fed. What that say about shrimps that look like bugs? Just take a good look at them and you'll see it."

"Serving shrimps in an Oyster bar is not very sensible either." Eri added. "You might as well call it Oyster and Shrimp bar."

Murmurings started ringing as Shawn was visibly surprised about Harima's answer and Eri's comment.

"I think this young couple here has a point." An elderly man said. "I'm beginning to see why he doesn't like shrimps. They look very peculiar now that I think about it."

"And you're agreeing with him?" Shawn asked, almost offended.

"I did not say that, Shawn." The elder answered sternly. "I expect good oyster from an oyster restaurant, not shrimp. Why not serve your usual menu instead of others? This restaurant is well known for its oysters so play with your strengths." Others nodded and Shawn found himself in a bind again. Damn that Japanese and his half breed fiancée!

"If that is your wish." Shawn conceded. "You, throw that thing away from here since we won't be having that anymore."

"Don't be wasteful, Shawn." Harima said. "That shrimp is still alive in that glass case so bring it back where it came from."

"You want me to bring it back to the sea?" Shawn retorted mockingly.

"What are you talking about? Just bring it back to a water tank or something. But it would be quite a sight you trying to bring a shrimp back to the sea."

There were a few light laughs but Shawn was immensely incensed how his plan was panning out. But he knew going out of character now would not be beneficial to his cause. He ordered the cart away and went to the kitchen and began commanding the staff to serve the usual menu. The way he did it was so brash that the staff were scared of their boss barking orders at them. It was a strange sight of how an affluent and cultured man speak vulgarities when out of the public's eye.

The dinner didn't take too long. They simply ate and conversed with others. Harima had grown a reputation that some asked if he could spare them the time to show his artistic talents. Harima obliged and drew some quick sketches of people present that mostly pleased and entertained them. To add insult to Shawn's hurt ego, Harima drew him a caricature sporting small pigtails at the side of his head and saying he couldn't capture his good looks so he drew him in a way that make him look very comical for a change. This was all in good sport and everyone took it as one but Shawn, already been humiliated for the last time, excused himself after forcing a small smile in his departure and fake merriment. The dinner was over much to Shawn's expense of being a butt of jokes again.

"That taught him a lesson." Eri said while in the limousine going back home.

"He better be." Harima said. "I won't eat a shrimp even if my life depended on it."

"Is that so? Then why did you eat some when Tenma invited you over that one time?"

"Oh, I did but quickly got sick of it. It's too salty for my taste."

"I find that strange too but this tr…uh, Yakumo told me you like shrimp."

"She did? Well, I don't know about that but she prepared a meal looking like a shrimp but with potatoes in it so I could eat it."

"A shrimp prepared with potatoes in it?" Eri couldn't hide her surprise even if she tried.

"Yeah. It sure is considerate of her to notice so I guess she did it so I can tag along. That's just a person she is."

It was so annoying that everyone seemed to be complimenting Yakumo every now and then. _That sly tramp. I knew something was fishy back then. _"But oysters are better, right?"

"Way, way better."

_That made him change sides. _Eri smiled a little bit. She didn't want to intrude how Harima and Yakumo were doing but compared to hers, this wasn't even worth talking over. As long as Eri and Harima like and hate the same stuff, things would just flow naturally for them. Harima and Yakumo seemed very ill fated since they're total opposites. Antagonistic as their conversations be, Eri heard that a relationship blooms better in that rugged manner because it shows what they really are. One look at Harima and Yakumo it felt they're just doing it for show and not like they were in their natural selves, especially Harima. Eri didn't know about Yakumo one bit but hearing she could be sly by serving that weird shrimp potato meal, Yakumo might be putting up a front for him.

Well, Yakumo could play that game but Eri would just act natural and things would fix themselves along the way, no matter how others might interpret it.

It was just a matter of time.

x-x-x

Yakumo was looking out the window, gazing at the thousand stars illuminating the cloudless dark sky. It was night and she should be in bed by now. But whenever Harima was out and not home yet, she couldn't convince herself to sleep. Even if Harima went home, she couldn't muster the courage to greet him home but simply felt content that it would ease her to sleep knowing that tomorrow morning Harima would still be there.

Days gone by with this in mind every night and she contemplated that if this would always continue. Sure, they've done something together now outside of doing his manga, but there was this distance she felt that she couldn't cross.

A whisper, even if barely audible. To hear him think of even a single word that could perhaps change all of this.

Still, nothing.

Silence. That absolute silence that once comforted her had become a wall that showed her how things were going.

Nothing was changing.

"The reason you won't confess is because you're not sure. Despite after all you've done, you still cannot read his mind – even by a little. You know the result already."

Yakumo turned around and didn't saw the young girl from before. The young girl was brutally honest as always but that was the cold hard truth. She knew it herself that all this time she wanted to make sure, to make sure she has a chance. And yet, none. Not even a whimper of his thoughts could she read. Would she risk it knowing that a chance was not slim but non-existent? Was that even a risk to begin with?

It wasn't good to lie to oneself, Yakumo knew. No matter how much others closely interpreted it, there's always a lingering thought in her heart that said otherwise. This wasn't denial but rather compounded by a much deeper reason.

Was it sensible to hope when the reason to doubt was so much stronger?

This wasn't about fear.

It was about doubt.

* * *

**Author's Corner: PHEW! It's been so long since I've updated this story! I've been terribly busy these past few months, not to mention I've been focusing on my other story. I'll say this again: I haven't abandoned this story even if the updates and progression are very slow. That's just how I write given this is an old anime. I might edit some chapters to make it seem more bearable to read. Even I can get too much of an exposition!**

**We're 20 chapters now. Wow. 20 chapters and whole lot of words. I can't believe this has been going for that long. But don't fret! This has an ending that I haven't forgotten yet. Sometimes I wish I could just blaze through and end it in one fell swoop. Nah. Better stick to the plan.**

**Anyway, sorry for the late update and see you in the next chapter!**


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